With Spring A New Life Begins
by Alexandrite-Raven
Summary: Last of winter snow melts away with old feelings and sorrow, giving place for new feeling to bloom into love. Berwald, a single parent, losing hope for a happy life, moves to a new town, into a big house with a huge garden. Starting all over again is just the thing he needs! Who would have thought, a young gardener will set roots deep into his heart. SuFin, M for later chapters.
1. It all started in March

Chapter 1- It all started in March

It was a cold Monday morning, early March. Berwald just brought the last two boxes from his car and set them on the kitchen floor. He was finally done. All he had to do now was just to unpack all of the boxes, put things into place and start his new live. This was the only reason he sold his old house, in order to buy a new one, in a different town. To start all over again.

"Was it worth it? Now that I think about it, I'm not sure it was a good idea after all." he said to himself. Berwald looked around and thought the house was way too big. It was only him and Peter now. _If only Desiré was here, this house wouldn't feel so empty and cold, but..._ he stopped himself from thinking any further. _I can't think about this now, this was the exact reason we moved here in the first place!_ Berwald calmed himself down, decided to take a break and have some coffee.

Just then he realized none of the boxes were unpacked, which meant he had to look through them to find the kettle. After a few minutes, Berwald found what he was looking for and made himself some coffee. He sat down on the sofa and tried to relax before doing any work. However, all of the thoughts of how much work he had ahead of him didn't allow him to.  
That's when he heard the soft footsteps of his son, Peter, coming down the stairs. "Papa, can you bring my boxes to my room please?" the little boy asked, making his best puppy eyes he could. "Of cou'se ah can P'ter" he answered, set his mug on the table and patted Peter's head gently. Berwald picked some of his son's boxes, carried them up the stairs and into Peter's room.

"Papa, I'm so happy that I've got a big bedroom and a massive garden now! I can do so many things in it! We can play in it together and all. I'm sure Mama can see us and she's happy! Thank you!" said Peter and hugged his father tightly. "Hmm" was all that Berwald could choke out. He could feel tears already starting to form in the corners of his eyes. He ruffled Peter's hair and left him to do his own thing.

Once Berwald closed the door of his son's bedroom, he ran downstairs covering his mouth with his hand so that Peter would't hear the sobs that already started to escape from his lips. It wasn't that Berwald was weak, but knowing that his son would never know his mother was just too much for him. He sat back on the sofa and curled into a little ball, squeezing his knees to his chest, sobbing quietly.

After Berwald calmed down, finished his now cold coffee and looked around him, he decided to start unpacking the boxes and sort out the mess he made while looking for the kettle. He stretched and went to the kitchen, where huge piles of pots, plates, cups and other kitchen equipment on the floor greeted him. Berwald got to work, thinking if he'll be able to finish all the boxes till the end of the week. He somehow managed to get a week off from his work, only to do more work at home. He sighed. _It's impossible_ he thought, then resumed to his task.

Unpacking kitchen boxes was uneventful, but tiring nonetheless. After finishing with all the boxes labeled "KITCHEN", Berwald realized he still had some time before he had to make lunch. So, with nothing better to do, he went to the garden.  
Patches of this years snow mixed with half frozen mud were still lying everywhere, covering the trees, grass and paths all over the garden. Even though most of the plants were still in hibernation, it was easy to say that the garden was wild and rundown. Berwald sighed, he wasn't good with gardening, not only that, he didn't have the time to spend on making the garden presentable and "Peter friendly". There was only one way out of this. He had to hire a gardener, because not only did the garden needed taming, but it was so enormous that keeping it in good condition would take most of his free time, and he already had so little.

Berwald looked at his watch, it was time he began making lunch. He took one last glance at the garden and went back into the kitchen.

...

It was only Friday afternoon and Berwald was almost finished with unpacking the boxes. All he had left to do was unpacking four boxes filled with his work stuff, a box with DVD's and CD's and...the garden needed sorting out too. At that thought Berwald sighed dramatically. _The boxes can wait till tomorrow, but, the garden... I can't do this!_ he thought.

Although he didn't know where to start, he went to the garden and just stood there, staring. After all, it would be easier to clean the garden now, before all the plants started growing again. He looked at the garden once more. It was terrible!  
The ground was covered by a thick blanket of dead leaves. Berwald took a couple steps deeper into the garden, stopped and inhaled the frosty air. The musty scent of rotting leaves and mycelium mixed with the freshness of the leftover snow filled his lungs and lingered on the tip of his tongue. Berwald could almost taste it, Spring was near.

He knew that getting the garden sorted out will be easier before Spring came, but he couldn't do it alone. Berwald needed a gardener. He went back into his house, grabbed a phone book and looked through it, searching for numbers to gardeners working nearby.

After finding about six, he called five of them, only to find out that all of them already had full schedules for the year. The only one left, a number to a gardener named Tino Väinämöinen, was his last hope. Berwald dialed the number, few beeps went by, he waited. No answer, a voice mail machine was all he heard on the other end. He sighed and tried again, this time however, someone answered.

"Hello?" cooed a velvet voice from the other side of the phone. "H'llo, 's this Tino Väinämöinen?" asked Berwald, his usual low voice shaking a little. "Yes, how can i help you?" answered Tino sweetly. "I'd like t' ask if ya have any free pl'ces in yer schedule sir?" there goes nothing, he thought. That man was he's last hope. After a second the man answered. "Yes, I do actually. Though unfortunately, the only days that i haven't got booked yet are Saturdays." Berwald was so happy, that if he could, he'd hug the guy in the other end. "Great! W'uld it be 'k if we'd arr'nge a t'me for t'morrow th'n? If it's 'k, of co'rse." asked Berwald, exited to hear the answer. "Yeah, sure. What time?" asked Tino happily, at least he wouln't have to spend another lonely Saturday. "How abo't 12 P.M. then?" he waited patiently for confirmation. "Okey, may I have your address please?" Berwald gave his address to the man, thanked him and said goodbye.

It was getting late now, so Berwald decided to make dinner. He went to the kitchen and started preparing the food. After thirty minutes he was done, he called Peter downstairs and sat at the dinner table.  
The table was much too big for just the two of them, he though. _Maybe if there would be one more person. Maybe if Desiré..._ Berwald's thoughts stopped all at once after Peter sat at the table. "What's wrong Papa?" he asked, worry audible in his voice. "N'thin' dear." he answered simply.

They enjoyed their meal in comfortable silence, until Berwald remembered something. "A gard'ner will come t'morrow. He'll come every week t' keep yer gard'n pr'tty." said Berwald while picking up his and Peter's plate and going to kitchen. "Wow, really? That's so cool! I can play with him and..." Peter was cut off by his father. "Nej Peter. He'll come here t' w'rk, not t' play." said Berwald, smiling softly at his son. Peter was a little disappointed by his Papa's answer, but he smiled nonetheless. "Okay Papa. Goodnight." said the young boy, kissing his father on the cheek and hugging him before storming back to his room.

After Berwald finished cleaning up after dinner, he went upstairs, checked if his son was already in bed, and went to take a shower. Once he finished everything, he looked at the time. It was 9 P.M. _Oh well,_ he thought _I might as well have an early night after a week of hard work at home..._ and so, he went to bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

...

Berwald woke up at 9 A.M. the next morning, took a shower, made breakfast, asked Peter if he wanted to do anything tomorrow (since Peter's new school started on Monday), cleaned up after breakfast and decided to unpack the boxes filled with his work, to kill some time before the gardener came.  
And so, he got to work. Unpacking the boxes was boring, but it had to be done. He was so busy with his work, that he didn't even realize what time it was, until he heard the obnoxious noise, made by the door bell. He jumped up and ran to the door.

Berwald opened the door slowly, what greeted him wasn't an average stereotypical gardener, it was an angel. Short, slim, wearing black, skinny jeans and a blue shirt, a round face, pale, velvet-looking skin, and most importantly, the most beautiful, mesmerizing, violet eyes he's ever seen.

Then the angelic man spoke, smiling gently. "Hello. I'm Tino Väinämöinen, nice to meet you."

* * *

Author notes~

Hi it's Alexandrite-Raven here! So, this is my first fan fiction ever. I would really appreciate some honest reviews and all. I would also like to thank my awesome friend and editor fenhong-orchidea, i love you lots. Anyway, I'll try to update every two weeks or sooner, thanks for all your support! See you later...!


	2. I don't want to do this anymore, but

Chapter 2 - I don't want to do this anymore, but...

It was Friday afternoon, Tino just got home from work, had a shower and sat down on a couch. _I'm useless_, he thought, _and I'll be forever alone_. After a few more cheerful comments, he decided to have one of his self-pity-crying-parties. Lying on his bed or couch, hugging a pillow and crying about how pathetic he is, was lately the common way for Tino to spend his free time. Today was no different. However, his "party" was interrupted by his annoying ring tone. Tino looked at his phone, the number was unknown, he answered the call. _Sound happy Tino,_ he told himself, _it might be one of your annoying customers._

"Hello"_ that sounded way to girly_, Tino mentally kicked himself. "H'llo, 's this Tino Väinämöinen?" said the person on the other side of the phone. _Damn, that guy's got the sexiest voice I've ever heard! So rich and deep and... Stop it Tino!_ "Yes, how can i help you?" _I hope he'll be my new customer!_ "I'd like t' ask if ya have any free pl'ces in yer schedule sir?" asked the mysterious man on the other side. _Yes, yes, yes! No more lonely Saturdays! Whaaa, I'm so happy!,_ Tino was so exited, he started bouncing on the spot. "Yes, I do actually. Though unfortunately, the only days that i haven't got booked yet are Saturdays." After that, the man gave his address, and they arranged to meet tomorrow at 12 P.M.

Feeling happier than before, Tino realized he was starving. All the way to the kitchen, while making his dinner and even while eating it, he couldn't stop thinking about that guy's voice. He could hear it loud and clear, ringing in his ears. Only then did he realize that the man had a strange accent, I wonder where he's from, but after a while, Tino decided to just let it go.

Tino felt his body getting heavy, _Maybe I'll watch a film,_ he thought. He turned Resident Evil 4 on and laid down on his couch. Tino could feel the first inklings of drowsiness creep onto his eyelids, making it harder and harder to open his eyes with every blink he made. After about thirty minutes he finally fell asleep, the film playing. During his nap Tino had a strange dream about zombie plants and the end of the world. He woke up covered in cold sweat, "Perkele, what was that!?" he screamed. Then after a few deep breaths, he realized it was all a dream and went back to sleep, not noticing that he was still on the couch.

...

Tino woke up in pain, sleeping on a couch is not the best way to get a good night rest. He stood up, stretched and rubbed the back of his sore neck. Tino took a quick glance at the clock, it was 11:30 A.M. At that moment, reality hit him hard, I'm not gonna have time to have breakfast, great!, he thought sarcastically to himself. He rushed to the bathroom, got, what he thought, the quickest shower of his life, got dressed in the first clean cloths he could find and ran out of his flat and into his navy blue van. It was 11:45 A.M.

Once he was on the road and got stopped by traffic lights, Tino looked in the mirror. He got terrified! _What happened to my hair?!,_ he was so stressed out by his morning hair, that he didn't even realize when the light changed back to green. The only thing he cared about now, was how terrible he looked, thankfully a choir of honks got him out of his horrified state.

He was almost there, _Just three more minutes_, he told himself, _three more minutes and you'll meet the man with the sexiest voice on the face of this planet..._ Tino looked at the time, it was 11:55 A.M. If all goes well I'll have few seconds to sort out my hair, he tried to calm himself down, and then he saw it. A great, big house, looking majestic amongst the smaller houses surrounding it in the area._ Great, so he's either taken and has a family, or, he's a creep, living all alone in a massive house, has twenty cats and no friends. _Tino was a little discouraged by that, but after sorting out his morning hair to the best of his ability, he got out of his van and started the short journey to his new customers house.

Tino knocked three times and waited, after a couple of seconds he fried again. That time though, he could hear someone someone running towards the front door, Tino chuckled softly. Then, the door have slowly opened. He couldn't believe his eyes. The man standing in front of him, was not only an owner of the sexiest voice Tino have ever heard, but he also had the scariest face Tino have ever seen! _I feel like he's gonna eat me alive!, _Tino freaked out mentally. He could feel himself starting to shake a little. This wasn't good, it wasn't good at all. If he'll have to spend every Saturday here, accompanied by this guy, he'll have a heart attack sooner or later! Tino had to calm down, and quick. The man's glare softened a bit, so Tino decided to introduce himself before he'll die.

"Hello. I'm Tino Väinämöinen, nice to meet you." he said and stretched out his slightly shaking hand._ I'll die, he'll grab my arm, drag me inside and eat me for dinner!,_ Tino couldn't stop freaking out. He could feel his eyes starting to getting watery.

"H'llo, 'm Berwald Oxenstierna. Please c'me inside." said Berwald while stepping out of Tino's way. Tino walked into the house, slowly and with evident fear in his eyes. He was shaking a little, the stress taking control of his body completely. I need to think of some excuse to get out of here and never come back. Tino waited for Berwald to close the door and lead him to... well he didn't really know where they were suppose to go now. Garden, living room?

_He's cute_, thought Berwald, _really cute_. He went into the living room, the smaller man following him in the distance. Berwald sat down at the table and gestured for Tino to sit at the table wit him. _I need a way out of this, fast!,_ Tino could feel his face getting hot from all the stress. When Berwald spoke, Tino twitched and looked his way. "So, sh'uld we t'lk 'bout the det'ils of yer w'rk?" asked Berwald, his low voice vibrating through the room, sending chills through Tino's body. "Y-Yes, I think." answered Tino, his voice quiet and shaky.

"W'uld ya like s'methin' t' drink first?" _He looks as if I wanted to kill him_, thought Berwald, _I need to make him relax a little or he'll just run away or have a heart attack._ Thinking back, almost everyone, except for his wife, was afraid of him. "Coffee please?" it was more of a question rather than an answer. While Berwald was gone, Tino thought of ways, that wouldn't result in his death, to reject the giant. Sadly Tino couldn't think of anything. Unfortunately, before Tino could come up with a good plan, Berwald came back with the drinks.

...

They were talking for almost an hour, discussing the details of the work. Tino was getting tired of this, he was about to do it, to say that he can't do it because, well, he hoped that it'll just come to him while already talking. "Mr. Oxenstierna, I'm sorry but..." Tino got interrupted by a small boy storming into the living room. "Papa, Papa! Is this the gardener?!" the little boy, about seven years old, asked while jumping around Tino. "Yes, Peter. It's him." said Berwald.

"Yey! Hello, I'm Peter!" he screamed. Tino chuckled, _How adorable!_, he thought. "Well, nice to meet you, Peter. I'm Tino." Tino smiled warmly and reached out to ruffle Peter's hair gently. "Don't do that! Papa does that too, it's annoying. And you to Papa, stop messing up my hair!" said Peter, frustrated at both the man treating him like a little kid. He wasn't small anymore, he was going to be eight on the second of September! He furrowed his bushy brows, making them touch each other.

Peter relaxed his face and stared to rant about their new house, and how now he's got a huge garden to play in with his Papa. "Hey, Tino!" the young boy exclaimed. "Mr. Tino, Peter." added his father. "Tino is just fine." said Tino, smiling at the man siting besides him. Piter grinned at Tino and continued. "Would you like to see the garden?" he said, pulling on Tino's sleeve lightly. "Sure!" answered Tino. He stood up and realized something, Berwald was smiling. _God, he's so hot when he smiles!_, thought Tino, a light blush making its way across his face after taking his thought a bit further. Peter yanked Tino's sleeve and dragged him towards the exit to the garden. Tino was secretly thankful to Peter, for saving him from his inappropriate thoughts.

_I guess i can't just run away and leave this kid with a shitty garden. I'll have to survive spending some time with his father, but it'll be worth it. There's nothing better than making kids smile!,_ Tino was now sure, he won't abandon his new client. "Peter! Show a little respect to Mr. Tino." Berwald scolded Perter, making both Tino and his son stop. "Sorry Papa. Sorry Tino." he said quetly, shame noticeable in his voice. "It's alright Mr. Oxenstierna. Really. I don't mind your son being exited about showing me your garden, and dragging me there by my sleeve." he reassured him and smiled at Peter.

...

They got outside to the garden, Tino froze and gaped at it. First it was the shock from the size of it. It was almost like a little park. Sadly, Tino quickly realized how rundown it was, it made him a little sad inside. His face, from shocked changed rapidly to one of pure terror. Berwald noticed this, and asked gently, while placing his large hand on Tino's shoulder. "Are ya okey?" his worried expression looking much softer than his usual glare. Tino jumped a little at the hand on his shoulder and the question, quickly directing his eyes to Berwald's concerned stare. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just...the garden. It looks so bad it makes me sad." he sighed and looked back at the miserable looking trees and bushes.

Berwald sighed too. "Th't's why I got ya Mr. Väinämöinen. Th' only thing I w'nt, 's m' son's happ'ness." he said, looking at Peter and finally letting go of Tino's shoulder. Tino was touched by how caring and loving the man really was, it turned out that Berwald wasn't as scary as he looked. That was it. Tino swore to himself that he would go through anything and do everything he possibly do, to make the garden beautiful, and make the little boy happy.

"Umm, Mr. Oxenstierna? Do you think I could start working today?" asked Tino in a quiet voice. Berwald looked at Tino, a little confused why Tino wanted to start right away. They already discussed it earlier, that he would start working since next week. "Ja, sure." he nodded. "Great! I just need to grab my things from the van." exclaimed Tino while clapping his hands together. Berwald hummed in agreement and went to open the garden gate for Tino to bring his stuff in. "Papa, can I help Tino?" asked Peter, jumping on the spot from excitement. "If Mr. Tino lets ya, 'm fine with it." said Berwald looking at Tino. "Yes, I'll appreciate your help very much. Thank you Peter." said Tino smiling. He walked slowly to his van, turning around to see if the little blond boy was following him. He was.

Peter helped Tino carry his lighter tools to the garden, while Tino carried all the heavy things. He was finished much quicker with Peters help, and for that he was thankful. Tino got to work, deciding to pick up all the dead branches and rake the rotting leaves first. _It'll take me the whole day just to do that! _he though, but he carried out his task nonetheless.

Berwald watched as Tino worked, bending an unknown number of times to pick up the twigs and branches from the bedding of the garden. Yes, Berwald enjoyed watching Tino at work a lot. He looked at his watch, it was almost time for lunch. Berwald stood up straight from the tree he was leaning on, turned on his heel, and was just about to leave Tino to his work, when he heard something. It was Tino's stomach. It growled loudly, the sound echoing in the garden. He turned around once again to see Tino, he stared with wide eyes and chuckled.

Tino smiled sheepishly. "I haven't eaten anything today. So, yeah..." he said and got back to work. Berwald looked concerned, it was almost 1:30 P.M. "Ya can 'av lunch with us if ya'd like, Mr. Väinämöinen." said Berwald worriedly. Tino felt bad for making his client worry, he couldn't just eat at someone's house like that, it felt like he was forcing himself onto them. Tino didn't like that feeling one bit. "No, thank you. I'll be just fine." he smiled, then his stomach made another loud growl, as if it could sense the potential food being near. Berwald looked even more worried now than he was before, he asked again. Peter heard the conversation and ran outside, garbing Tino's hand and dragging him into the house. Tino couldn't argue with Peter, he was simply too cute for that.

Berwald laughed instead of scolding his son this time. "Look like ya 'av no choice." said Berwald smirking. "Yeah, looks like it." he sighed and ruffled Peters hair. Peter huffed, puffed his cheeks out and pouted. The way Peter looked right now, reminded Tino of a hamster with full cheeks. He laughed at that thought. Peter got a little annoyed and lightly punched Tino in the stomach. Berwald gave Peter a death glare, then turned to Tino to see if he's alright. Tino wasn't harmed at all, he was quick to tackle Peter and return the favor by tickling the small child. Berwald watched the scene from a distance and smiled warmly. Since the time that Peter's mother was gone, Tino was the first person to make Peter that happy.

The play fight stopped after a few minutes and Tino asked if he could help Berwald with preparing lunch. Berwald agreed, since Tino's argument was strong. He said that he'd feel guilty if he wouldn't help and that his pride as a man, would be hurt. Berwald couldn't argue with that. They made lunch fairly quickly, Tino definitely helped a lot. Once they finished, they had lunch and cleaned up after it. Through the day Tino realized that Berwald is really warm and caring underneath the scary mask he's wearing. He even, dare he say, begins to like him, for something else than his good looks and a sexy voice. Tino wasn't sure how to feel about this, he felt insecure, that's for sure.

...

Tino finished work at 5 P.M, most of his work was finished. Maybe is he'd have few more minutes, like thirty or fifty, then he would probably be finished. He packed his tools away, with a little help of both, Peter and his father. He said his goodbyes to Berwald and then to Peter. He was just about to leave, when Peter ran out of his house and up to Tino's van. Tino opened the door, Peter jumped right into the van. "What are you doing Peter?" Tino asked curiously. "Have a save journey home, Tino!" was all that the boy said while hugging Tino with all his might. "Bye Tino, see you next week!" screamed the boy, waving his hand madly and running to his Papa waiting at the door step. Tino was happy. He'll definitely like working for this little family...

* * *

Author notes~

Hello there, dear readers, Alexandrite-Raven has returned! I'm updating so soon, i know right! I have no life, therefore I have a lot of time to dedicate to you, lovely people! I hope this chapter doesn't suck. If there's any spelling mistakes or something that doesn't quite make sense, then please PM me and i'll change it. Please review this story, it makes me happy and inspired to write more when I see that people enjoy my work. Please write honest reviews, I don't need sugarcoating, unless it's from the heart. I'll say that I will update in two weeks, but it might be, or rather will be, sooner. Thank you all, and see you soon...


	3. Rain gives a fresh start

Chapter 3 - Rain gives a fresh start

After Tino left, Peter was a little sad. He wanted Tino to stay with them for a little longer. He liked him, a lot! "Papa, Papa! Will Tino come back next week?" asked the small boy. "Ja." answered Berwald. "Are you sure?" the little boy wanted to know. His Papa looked much happier when that man was around. "Ja, 'm sure." said Berwald, patting Peter's head gently.

"So, do ya want t' do somethin' t'morrow?" asked Berwald, hoping that his son didn't want to do anything before their lives came back to a normal rhythm. He just wanted to stay home and have some peace and quiet. "Not really, i just want to rest before tomorrow." replied Peter. _Yes! Thank you!,_ thought Berwald. "'kay, we'll r'lax t'morrow th'n." Berwald was really happy that he won't have to go anywhere.

...

Their Sunday was peaceful and relaxing. They've spend the day playing games, talking and getting ready for tomorrow. Peter would start at his new school and Berwald would resume his work; projects needed finishing and they wouldn't finish themselves.

Tino, on the other hand, was thinking about all the things that have happened yesterday. He was happy that he got a new customer, not only that, he also really _liked_ him. Berwald's son was adorable too. Tino smiled at the thought of Peter. _He's so cute and full of energy,_ he recalled, while thinking of how hyper the little boy was acting. However, now that he had more work, he had less time to prepare for the next six days of it. Tino sighed and took out his files to check what he had to do this upcoming week.

...

Monday morning. Peter got ready to school, they had breakfast, Berwald drove him to school and came back home to finish all of his projects that he have stared last week. Designing furniture for IKEA wasn't the most exiting job, but he liked it. He worked at home most of the time, which was good. He didn't have to go and see people that would straight away judge him by his looks. He never had many friend due to his appearance, people were afraid of him. They wouldn't want to talk or work with him. He was always alone, that was, until he met his wife.

Berwald sighed and though better than to think of the past, and things that would never come back. He had a new life now. A new house, a son that he loved, and a gardener. Yes, that was definitely somewhere at the top of the things he thought about the most for the past two days._ Hmm, he's nice,_ he thought, _really nice._

Berwald snapped out of it and got started with his work. The hours when by quickly, Berwald didn't even realize that it was almost time to pick up Peter from school. He looked at the time, it was 2:50 P.M. Peter's school finished at 3:30 P.M, he still got time. Berwald was almost finished with his second project that day, he hoped he could finish it before Peter came home. After, what Berwald thought was few minutes, he looked at the time once more, it was 3:15 P.M. He jumped up from his desk, grabbed his coat, car keys, locked the home and ran to his car.

Luckily Berwald made it just in time. Peter just finished his last lesson, ran out and into his fathers arms, hugging him tightly. Berwald hugged his son back and they walked to their car. Once they got into it Berwald asked "How's school t'day?" Peter shrugged, "Fine I guess. I've got a new friend, his name is Alexander. He's Swedish too!" he exclaimed. Since they moved to the new town, they haven't met any Swedish people yet. In their last town there was only a few. There were lots of nationalities, they lived in Canada after all, though there wasn't that many Swedes. Berwald was happy that his son got a new friend already, and a Swedish one at that.

The rest of the week was uneventful. Peter went to school as usual, making new friends and learning new things. Berwald, finishing most of his designs that he left before he moved into his new house. The closer Saturday was, the more Berwald thought about Tino. He was thinking about him most of the time, it was getting a little irritating actually. His mind was full of Tino, he could hardy think of anything else but the petite man he met less than a week ago.

...

Finally, Friday came. Last day of school and last day of work, but most importantly he'll see his... gardener, yeah, that's all that Tino was to him. Right? Berwald couldn't think straight, he was stressing out, but for what reason? It's not like Tino felt something for him, or showed any kind of interest in him. He wasn't afraid of him, like everyone else always was, but that didn't mean anything.

It was time for dinner now, Berwald called Peter downstairs. "Papa, tomorrow's Saturday, I'm so happy!" screamed the young boy. "Ja, I know P'ter. What 'bout it?" he asked. "Well," Peter cooed, "Tino's coming!" Berwald smiled at his excited son, then he said sadly "'m not sure if he'll c'me t'morrow. 's suppose t' be rainin'. I dunno if he works when it rains. I'll call him."

Berwald dialed Tino's number and waited. After a few seconds Tino picked up, "Hello?" said Tino, though it was more of a question really. "Ja, h'llo. 's me, Berwald." he said, a little concerned at the fact that Tino sounded like he was just sleeping. "Did I wake ya up Mr. Väinämöinen?" he asked. "Um, yeah, but don't worry about it. Why are you calling Mr. Oxenstierna, is something wrong?" Tino asked, a little confused at why he'd call him now. "No, um, 'm sorry fer wakin' ya up sir. 'm not sure if yer workin' t'morrow. 's going t' rain all day." he said, a little upset that he woke Tino up. "Of course I work tomorrow. We can design the garden, Peter will definitely help us a lot!" Tino was happy that tomorrow he'll see his new favorite customer. "Ja, that'll be nice." he said, feeling a little happier now. "Okay, so I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Oxenstierna." Tino couldn't wait till tomorrow, he'll have trouble falling asleep now. All the excitement was making him feel less and less sleepy. "Ja, t'morrow. Bye." he said. "Bye" cooed Tino.

Tino was sure he had to do something to make himself tired again, or he'll never go to sleep. He got dressed and went out jogging. That did the trick. Once Tino returned home, he was exhausted. He took a quick shower and fell asleep almost instantly.

After Berwald ended the call, he told Peter that Tino will be coming tomorrow, and that they'll design the garden. He also said that Tino asked for Peter's help with it. Peter was extremely excited, he started ranting about what he want in the garden. "Papa, could we have a pool and a football pitch and a pond and maybe even a tree house?!" Berwald shook his head in disapproval. He then ruffled Peter's hair, hugged him and shooed him upstairs to finish his homework and go to bed.

Berwald sat on the couch with a cup of coffee and put on some pointless TV show. All he could think about now, was Tino and how he'd want his garden to look. Soon he finished his coffee, turned off the TV and went upstairs to have a shower and go to bed. He was exhausted after an entire week of work. Once Berwald was in his bed, he had troubles falling asleep. Thoughts of tomorrow were keeping him awake. Luckily, after a few minutes, the first inklings of drowsiness were falling onto him. Soon he fell asleep.

...

Berwald woke up the next day, he looked out the window. It wasn't raining yet. He went downstairs had breakfast alone because Peter was still asleep and he didn't want to wake him up early on Saturday. Berwald got himself all sorted by 9:30 A.M, he still had half an hour till Tino's suppose to come.

Peter came down ten minutes later, he ate what his Papa made for him for breakfast and realized that it wasn't raining. "Papa can i help Tino in the garden today?" he asked. "Ja, if Tino lets ya." He then went upstairs to get a shower. It was 10 A.M. _Tino should be here any second now,_ he thought.

Five minutes later, he heard loud knocking.

...

Tino woke up late again, he had just enough time to get a shower, get dressed and grab a bite to eat. _Where are they?,_ he asked himself. He looked everywhere, it was getting more and more frustrating, but he simply couldn't find them. His van keys were nowhere to be found._ If I don't leave now I'll be late! _He grabbed his folder, put his coat on and left.

It wasn't raining, so he didn't take his umbrella. Five minutes after, a terrible downpour started. Tino shoved his folder under his coat, not wanting his paper work to get wet. However, this definitely did not save him from getting soaking wet.

He was going to be late._ Great!_, he thought. He ran as fast as he could, he could see his destination now. Just few more second and he'll be safe, in a warm house.

He got to the door step of Berwald's house, water dripping off of him. He looked at his watch, it was 10:05 A.M._ I'm late and Berwald will be mad at me,_ he moaned to himself. He knocked on the door violently, the rain only gettin heavier, making him even more drenched.

After what felt like an hour Berwald opened the door.

...

Upon seeing Tino looking as if he just got out of water, Berwald gasped. "C'me in Mr. Väinämöinen." said Berwald, moving out of the way. Tino gladly walked into the warm house. "Hello. I'm sorry for being late." said Tino quietly. Berwald looked worried, really worried. Tino sneezed, "I couldn't find the keys to my van, so I ran here. It wasn't raining when i left so I didn't take my umbrella." he said, sneezing once more and shivering lightly.

Peter ran downstairs, "Hi Tino!" he greeted him. He was about to hug Tino, but then he saw how soaked he was and thought better of it. "Hey Peter." he said, chuckling at the frown Peter made once seeing how drenched he was. Peter saw, that a little puddle started forming on the floor where Tino was standing. He quickly ran back up the stairs to get some towels.

Berwald helped Tino to take his damp coat off of him. It was extremely heavy, water trickling from it in little waterfalls. "Ya need a hot show'r and hot tea, or ya'll get sick by t'morrow, Mr. Väinämöinen." said Berwald, furrowing his brow in worry. "No, I'll be okay. I'm at work, that would be inappropriate, but thank you." he replied. "If ya'll not gonna do it, I'll tell P'ter and th'n ya'll be forced t' do it an'way." said Berwald with a smirk. "Fine, but only because I don't want Peter to drag me there." he answered, sounding defeated and a little annoyed.

Tino took off his shoes and damped socks, not wanting to make more mess than he already have. He then tiptoed after Berwald, up the stairs and into the bathroom. "Thank you Mr. Oxenstierna." said Tino smiling gently. Berwald smiled back, then he handed him a clean towel and some clean cloths and left him alone in the huge bathroom.

Tino felt incredibly guilty for being such a burden on his customer. _This should've never happened, it was all my fault,_ he thought. Tino went out of the shower,_ Where are my cloths?_, he wondered. Sighing, he dried himself and put on the cloths Berwald left for him. They were very nice and classy, but way too big for him. They must have been Berwald's cloths._ I look stupid_, he commented. He sighed once again and stepped out of the bathroom, Berwald already waiting for him outside.

Tino handed him his used towel, "Thank you. Where did you take my cloths," he asked, "and, umm... could I call you by your first name Mr. Oxenstierna? I'm used to using first names with the people I work with." he added. "That is, if you're okay with it." he added, feeling a bit uneasy about asking in the first place. "No probl'm. 've put th'm t' wash and dry. And I hav'n't got a probl'm with ya usin' my first name. Can I call ya Tino th'n?" asked Berwald, trying his best not to burst out laughing. Tino looked awful in his cloths, he was so tiny everything hung off of him. "Of course you can, thanks." he said, then he added. "Don't even try laughing at me, you're the one who gave me your cloths!" he said with a fake anger accenting his words. Berwald chuckled lightly and told Tino to follow him.

Berwald went into his bedroom and walked straight to his wardrobe. Tino followed slightly unsure why they were here. He watched as Berwald fished around a medium sized, black box. The box was at the very bottom of the wardrobe, in a far corner. Tino wondered what could Berwald be looking for, but then he saw it and he knew straight away, he smiled. Berwald pulled out a pair of blue, skinny jeans and a purple shirt. They both looked very feminine to him. Berwald left the cloths on his bed and went out, closing the door behind him.

Tino watched as Berwald left him without saying anything. He studied the cloths lying in front of him, he then changed into them. They fit him perfectly, though, they definitely belonged to a woman. _So, Berwald has a wife, or a fiance, or a girlfriend, _that thought made him a little sad. That would mean he is straight, or if Tino was lucky, Berwald could be bi. Tino felt stupid for not thinking of that earlier, he had a son after all. Though, Peter could have been adopted. Either way, Tino didn't want to think about it now. The question bothering him the most now was, why were her (who ever she was) cloths were in a black box on the bottom of the wardrobe?

Tino decided to let it go and go downstair to get started with his work. Once again, Berwald was waiting for him outside. The look on Berwald's face, was different from the one he had last time. It looked pained, Tino could have sworn that he could see Berwald's eyes getting watery. "Ya look beautiful." Berwald said quietly. Tino's only response was widening his eyes and a blush covering his face. Berwald quickly realized what he said and he blushed lightly too, the tears rolling in his eyes. However, before any of them could fall, he covered his face with his hand and turned around, running down the stairs.

Tino didn't know how to feel about this. He was wearing some woman's cloths, Berwald told him he looks beautiful and he almost broke down when he saw him. Tino wanted to give him a hug, but Berwald was now out of his reach. He followed him quickly, he didn't know where exactly Berwald went, so, Tino just walked into the living room. Peter was sitting at the table, but Berwald wasn't there.

Peter turned around, the look on his face upon seeing Tino wearing this cloths, was the same as Berwald's, the only difference being a small, sad smile. Berwald called from the kitchen, "How do ya like yer tea, Tino?" Berwald's voice was a little shaky. "Lemon, no milk, two sugars. Thanks." answered Tino. Then Peter spoke up, "You look beautiful in Mama's cloths, Tino." Peter's voice was shaky too. Tino, didn't know what to do now, _So he does have a wife._ Once he thought that, his face shocked face fell into a sorrowful one, instantly.

"Umm, so, where is your Mama now, Peter?" Tino asked gently, not sure if that question was appropriate. Just then Berwald came back from the kitchen, holding three cups, two with tea and one with coffee. "She's dead." was all that Berwald said, his voice cold and firm. It didn't held anger in it, though, it was more like Berwald was trying to cover his grief. Tino was shocked, he just stood there for few seconds, then he finally choked out a quiet, "I'm sorry." and sat down next to Peter. The boy looked just as sad as his father. They all sat there quietly, avoiding eye contact, but to Tino's surprise, Berwald was the one to break the silence.

"It happ'ned two years ago. H'r name w's Desiré, she w's m' wife and Peter's moth'r." he said quietly, struggling with keeping his voice steady. "She w's a businesswom'n, goin' on many business trips. One day she left fer one of th'm. She said g'dbye and nev'r came back." he's voice started cracking. Peter's eyes were now glassy, tears slowly beginning to fall down his rosy cheeks. Berwald continued anyway, "A fire br'ke out in h'r h'tel... she b'rned alive." the last words held great grief and sorrow in them. Tino could feel the atmosphere in the room getting more and more painful. Berwald's jaw was tightly clenched, his eyes fixed on the wall in front of him, tears threatening to escape his eyes at any moment. Peter stood up and hugged his father tightly, they both sobbed quietly.

Tino wanted to cry too, but something inside of him was effectively blocking his tears. He just sat there dully, not moving or saying anything, his head hung low. Wearing _Desiré's_ cloths, felt even worse than before, now that he knew the story. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." he said quietly. Berwald just hummed, meaning it was okay, that he didn't need to be sorry. By that time, Berwald and Peter stopped their sobbing, Peter returned to his seat, sipping his tea quietly. Berwald wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. "This's the reas'n we moved here. Startin' a new life, away fr'm the past... Umm, sho'ld we start the d'signin' th'n?" he asked, his voice still shaking slightly. Tino nodded in agreement.

They started with designing the garden, the longer they worked on it, the better the mood got. After two hours that flied by extremely quickly, they made lunch, ate and cleaned after it. Then they resumed with working on the garden layout. They finished by 4:30 P.M.

...

By the time they finished, Tino's cloths have already been washed and dried. Tino was talking to Peter about his school, meanwhile, Berwald got Tino's cloths out of the dryer and brought them into his bedroom. He called Tino upstairs, and he was there in no time. Tino entered Berwald's bedroom, his cloths lying on the bed, Berwald standing next to them. Tino walked up to the bed and looked at his cloths, all clean and dry. "Thanks Berwald, and... sorry for ealier. If I knew I wouldn't have asked." he said, feeling a bit ashamed. "Nej, 's fine. Ya didn' know, that's why ya asked. And, yer welc'me." he answered, smiling gently. "Ya can change now." he said, leaving the room.

Tino didn't even turn around to check if Berwald was gone, he just wanted to take these cloths off of him. What Tino didn't know, was that Berwald didn't in fact got a chance to leave the room, and that he saw a generous amount of Tino's body. Berwald left the room quickly after staring for few seconds, a bright red blush covering his face. Tino turned around, feeling as if someone was watching him. No one was there, he took the rest of his cloths off, folded them and changed his own cloths. He was relieved to be back in his comfort zone, in his own cloths.

Once Tino finished changing, he went downstairs. Berwald was already waiting for him by the front door, umbrella in his hand, Peter standing beside him. Tino smiled at Peter who looked quite sad, not because of the earlier events, but because he was leaving. He ruffled his hair, hugged him and said goodbye to both of them. "Here." said Berwald handing Tino a white umbrella. "Thank you, Berwald." and with that, Tino left.

The only thing Tino could think about while walking home, was what Berwald said about his wife. It was so tragic, that Tino was feeling really down, and the weather didn't help one bit.

After Tino left, Berwald and Peter went back into the living room to watch some TV together. Berwald remembered of what he saw few minutes ago, when Tino was changing, and blushed at the thought of it. "What's wrong Papa?" asked Peter, seeing his dad's face go red, for what he thought, no reason. "U-Umm, 's nothin' P'ter." he said, trying to calm himself down. "I'll make us s'me hot choc'late, 'kay?" he asked, trying to distract himself from the image that got imprinted deep into his mind.

...

Tino got home sad and cold, so, the best thing to do, was to take a hot shower and have tea. He did just that, but one thing was bothering him, Berwald simply wouldn't leave his mind. He decided to look over what he have done today with Berwald and Peter. The plan looked nice, Tino couldn't wait until he could finally start working in the garden.

Meanwhile, Berwald went upstairs to his bedroom. He sat in front of the window and watched, as the rain trickled down the glass. He was thinking about his wife, the past that he shared with her, about how all of that was now gone forever. His happiness left him the day he got a call from a hospital, saying she died. The only thing keeping him alive was Peter, that was, until last Saturday. _It's time to move one,_ he thought, _nothing will bring the dead back to life. I'm still young, Desiré wouldn't want to see me depressed for the rest of my life. _With that, he stood up, only to see his son standing in the door way. "Papa, are you okay? You've been sitting like that for two hours." asked Peter worriedly. "Ja, 'm fine." he answered. "Wanna help me make dinn'r?" he asked, looking out the window, thinking back about what happened today. "Yeah!" exclaimed Peter. He ran downstairs, Berwald following him close by.

Tino made himself some sandwiches, not being bothered to cook today. The day was long and tiring, Tino took one more hot shower and jumped into his bed. He couldn't fall asleep though. Thoughts of what happened today were bothering him, just then he realized, that Berwald called him beautiful while he was wearing his wife's cloths. It made Tino feel special, in a very awkward way. He felt terrible thinking about Peter not ever knowing his mother, and Berwald losing his love, but then once again, he's thoughts came back to Berwald and Berwald only.

Berwald was tired, he cleaned up after dinner, had a shower and went to bed. His mind was completely overtaken by Tino now. The image of Tino's body was in front of his eyes, so vivid he felt like he could touch him if he only reached out.

Both Tino and Berwald couldn't fall asleep that night, lying in their beds, thinking about each other. Then suddenly, at exactly the same moment, they both thought the same thing... _Am I... falling for him...? _

* * *

Author notes~

Okay, so, yeah... sorry for not mentioning earlier that it's all happening in Canada. By the way, Alexander (Peter's new friend) is Ladonia. For all of those who don't know **Nej **- means **No **in Swedish, and **Ja **- means **Yes** in Swedish. Sorry for not saying that earlier too. One more apology is for updating so slowly. This chapter is happening mainly during rain, so I was waiting till it'll rain here, where I live so that it'll be easier for me to get into the mood of things. Also, please, please, please, leave some reviews. I'd love to know what you think about this story or this chapter in particular, it will help me improve things for future chapters. If any of you see any stupid mistakes that I've made or want me to explain anything, please PM me and I'll gladly explain or change any errors. Thank you all for being here and supporting me. Without you this story wouldn't exist. Also, I do not own Htalia in any way, but I do own this story. I will try to update in two weeks or sooner. See you next time...


	4. Cupcakes make everything sweet

Chapter 4 - Cupcakes make everything sweet, but not always

The following Sunday Tino woke up feeling _strange_. He had a dream, about Berwald, but it was one of _those_ dreams, that he really shouldn't be getting. _This is wrong! What's wrong with you Tino?!_, he panicked and slapped himself for having dirty dreams about a guy he only met twice, and only a week ago.

_C'mon Tino, think. Think of something else than Berwald_, he tried to calm himself down. _Don't think about his green-blue eye and his voice, his...lips and...hands, and..._, Tino slapped himself one again, this time harder. _I'm hopeless_, he thought. Tino stood up, his belly rumbled, this was a sign he needed breakfast.

Tino ate his breakfast, a toast with jam, and made the decision to clean his house a bit. There wasn't much to do, but Tino got to work anyway. It helped him get his mind off of things. However, he quickly finished everything that he had to do and the thoughts of Berwald came crawling back into his mind. Tino thought hard for a second, _What else could i do, to try and forget about Berwald for some time?_ Then it hit him, _I'll read a book!_ Yes, that was a perfect plan.

Though, the only place Tino liked to read books in, was the park. He looked outside, it wasn't raining anymore. Tino took a shower, put on some fresh cloth and picked out a book. He put on his coat and shoes, locked his front door and walked in a nice relaxing pace towards the park. It was only about 15 minutes away from his house, so he preferred walk.

...

Tino got to the park in no time. The park was empty, well almost, two people were walking their dogs, apart from that, it was empty. Tino chose a quiet spot, a bench under a big birch tree. It was cold and quiet, perfect for relaxing with a good horror book. Tino drifted off to the world of his lecture, the wind gently caressed his light blond hair, making them a little messy.

His mind was free of any thought of Berwald, lost somewhere in the fictional world. However, his happiness didn't last long. After just a few pages, Tino heard his name. He ignored it at first, thinking who in the world would be calling him in the park. He couldn't ignore it for long though, because a young boy, about seven, with bright blond hair, tackled him. "Tino!" the small kid screamed. That's when Tino snapped out of it and realized it was Peter.

_Wait, what? Peter? What is he doing here?_ he asked himself. "Hey there Peter!" he greeted him, giving the boy a tight hug. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Just then he saw Berwald coming his way from the left. _Great!_ he thought sarcastically. He went out to give his mind a rest from the thoughts of Berwald, and here he was, coming towards him.

Peter hopped off of Tino and sat next to him. "Me and Papa went out for a walk in the park," he answered happily, "wanna join us?" Tino really just wanted to be left alone, to think through the whole situation. He was falling in love and... _Wait... falling in love?!_ he shook his head at the though of that. Just then Berwald finally reached the bench and sat next to Peter.

"Ja, ya should join us Tino" added Berwald. Tino sighed and agreed, he knew if he wouldn't, Peter would drag him to go with them anyway. They walked through the park, naked trees waving their branches at them. A few pigeons eating something from the ground, clouds moving across the sky lazily. Yes, it was a perfect Sunday afternoon, the cold, early spring sun made everything glow.

Tino, Berwald and Peter walked around the park, chatting and stopping a few times to look at a majestic tree or the little snowdrop flowers that were beginning to bloom. Tino was happy, being around Berwald just felt right. He sighed once again, that man had way too big impact on him. Thinking about him and feeling like that in his presence just didn't seem right. Well it did, but Tino only knew him for such a short time it felt weird.

"Tino, whould ya like t' come over?" asked Berwald. "N-Now?" Tino asked, a little shocked. He wasn't expecting to go anywhere today, except for the park. Berwald nodded and Peter just jumped and screamed "Yey!" Tino didn't really know what to do now. "Well, I'm not sure if-" he got cut off by Peter. "C'mon Tino, lets go! I wanna make cupcakes, you'll help me!" exclaimed Peter, dragging Tino by the sleeve in the direction of home. "Alright, fine. I'll go." he said defeated. Tino let out a quiet exasperated sigh and followed Peter.

...

They got home in about twenty minutes, Peter blabbed all the way home, about what kind of cupcakes they'll make and how they'll decorate them.

Tino washed his hand and waited for instructions from Peter. He didn't even realize, that Berwald was sneaking up behind him. Then, when he least expected anything to happen, Berwald _attacked _him from behind, with an apron. Tino screamed, getting scarred from the attack, he didn't see that one coming. A baby blue apron that fitted the small Finn perfectly. Berwald tied the apron around Tino's waist and took a good look at how cute Tino was in that apron.

Tino calmed down a bit and began following Peter's instruction. Tino definitely enjoyed backing with Peter and Berwald, it was simply fun. He liked baking, and baking with these two was great. Soon, they finished making the liquidy dough and poured it into cupcake tins. They placed the tins in the oven and decided to clean up after themselves. Once all that was done, all they had to do, was to wait for the cupcakes to back. Twenty minutes wasn't long, so that wasn't a problem.

Berwald made tea for all of them, making Tino's as he remembered he liked. Tino was happy that he got his tea perfect, it was a little surprising that Berwald would memorize things like that. It's not like Tino was someone important to him, right? Shortly after Berwald brought the tea into the living room, Peter left them, saying he needed to pack his bag for school tomorrow.

Tino felt awkward, staying alone with Berwald felt strange. The silence was quickly broken by Berwald's low voice. "So, Tino. How lon' do ya work as a gard'ner?" he asked curiously, looking up from his cup of tea. "Four years." he answered simply, smiling down at the cup in front of him. "And how old are ya? If ya don't mind me askin' that 's." Berwald asked, curiosity more present in his voice now than before. "No it's okay. I'm 26, gonna be 27 this December." he answered, smiling at Berwald this time. "And how old are you, Berwald?" he added. "'m 28. I'll be 29 in June." he answered and gave a little smile to the Fin sitting in front of him. _So the age difference is actually small, _Tino thought, _well, that's great! _

They talked about Peter for a while, how his new school's been and how well he copes with the new environment. Tino was quite worried about Peter to be honest. He didn't expect that to be the case, but it was. Tino liked him a lot, and was happy that he could spend some more time with the small family. Just then, the timer went off. Berwald calle Peter to come downstairs because the cupcakes were ready. Peter appeared in the living room almost immediately.

Just then, Tino realized, that Berwald was glancing at him from time to time. Berwald was looking at him _that_ way. And _that_ way, was definitely not a way for friends, _Is that what we are now?_ he thought, to look at each other. Little did he know, that he was doing the exact same thing towards Berwald.

Tino thought about it all and blushed madly, his face getting covered by a bright red hue. Berwald noticed Tino's blush and asked if he was okay, but that only made him blush more, since he realized that Berwald noticed him blushing. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine." he answered. _Great, so now I'm beginning to stutter!, _Tino was getting a tiny panic attack. Tino watched as Berwald's face grew with more and more concerned, as Tino's face got covered in an even brighter blush. Then, it happened. Berwald walked up to him slowly, stopped in front of him, bent down a bit and looked Tino in the eyes. Berwald's face was about five centimeters from his, and Tino could feel his head getting dizzy. Berwald gently brushed the golden bangs from Tino's forehead and moved forward slowly. His lips barely brushed Tino's forehead, but they still touched it.

Tino's face was now even redder, if that's even possible, than before the close contact with Berwald. "Yer f'rehead 's really hot. Ya might be gettin' a cold fr'm yest'rday's rain." was all that Berwald said. Tino just stood there, shocked, not knowing what to do in a situation like this one. _So he was just checking my temperature?, _Tino asked himself. A mix of relieve and disappointment flooded him. "N-No, I'm fine, really. I just need some fresh air." he said, walking in the direction of the back door.

Tino got out and into the garden in record time. He needed cold, fresh air. He was feeling way to dizzy. Dizzy and disappointed, but why? Did he hope for something more? Tino was way too confused to think now, he had to focus on calming down. A few minutes passed and Tino decided he felt well enough to go back inside. He turned around, Berwald was standing just outside the door to the garden.

Once Tino turned around, Berwald noticed straight away, that Tino's face had returned to it's natural colour. At that exact moment Berwald realized why Tino was blushing before and he blushed too. Tino didn't notice the blush though, he simply wouldn't look up into those green-blue eye. He's mind would start spinning again. They both came back inside, not saying a single word.

...

Tino was decorating the, now cold, cupcakes with Peter. Berwald sat directly in front of him, decorating his own cupcake with blue icing and some silver, edible glitter. Tino gaped at him for a few seconds, then returned his attention to his own cupcake. Berwald too, was looking at Tino from time to time. Once again, Tino notice that Berwald was watching him. It was a déjà vu, as soon as Tino notice what Berwald was doing, he blushed lightly. Berwald on the other hand, noticed that blush and knew exactly why Tino was blushing this time, and so, he blushed as well.

Tino noticed Berwald's blush this time, and so he asked "Are you okay?" Berwald chuckled, he knew exactly why, Tino was asking this question, their roles have just swapped and that amused him greatly for some reason. Tino chuckled to, feeling the mood of things. "Ja, 'm fine, Tino. Th'nks fer askin'." Tino smiled gently at Berwald, and Berwald returned the smile. Peter, unaware of what was going on, was just decorating his cupcakes.

Peter needed some white chocolate flowers, so he finally looked up from his art work. What he saw though, was not what he expected at all. His Papa was smiling. "Thank you, Tino." he said quietly. Tino looked at the boy a bit confused, "Umm, yeah, sure. You're welcome, but... what are you thanking me for?" he asked. "Thank you for making Papa smile like that. He only ever smiled that way to Mama. And since she is gone, I haven't seen him smile like that at anyone." answered Peter smiling brightly at both Tino and Berwald.

Tino was feeling a little down now, the mention of Desiré brought back the feelings from yesterday. Berwald, however, was still smiling at him, exactly the same way as before Peter mentioned anything. Tino gave the boy a small, sad smile. He thought for a second about what Peter just said and asked, "What do you mean Peter?" The boy answered simply, "Papa's smiling with love." After hearing what his son just said, Berwald choked on his own saliva. He quickly stood up and ran away to the kitchen, making an excuse by saying, that he's going to make hot chocolate for them.

Tino just processed the words that left the young boy's mouth, all he felt at that moment, was a warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach. The last time he felt that way, was when his fiancé was still alive. That thought alone hit him on the head like a ton of bricks. Tino shut down immediately, lost in the thoughts of his past. How he could have a happy family, live with his husband in a small house with a white dog and a kid or two...

Peter noticed that Tino was extremely down and asked what's wrong. However Tino did not respond, he didn't even hear the question. Tino didn't think about what happened so many years ago for a long time, and now that he did, it was just too painful. "Tino! Are you okay?!" Peter didn't give up in trying to get Tino to respond. He snapped out of it only when Berwald placed his hand on his shoulder. A cup of hot chocolate was already in front of him. He sighed, "Sorry Peter, did you ask something?" he was still out of it kinda. Peter asked one again, this time a bit more quietly and gently, "Are you okay Tino? What's the matter? You look really sad."

"No Peter, I'm not okay." he whispered, almost too quietly for them to hear. Berwald was now sitting next to Tino, watching him closely. Making sure that Tino wasn't about to break down. Tino let out a quiet sigh and decided that he'll tell them the story. They deserved to know, after all, they did share their story with him yesterday.

"It happened six years ago. I was engaged with my boyfriend from high school. We were going to get married in six months, but then everything changed. He wasn't feeling well for quite some time, but we were too busy with the preparations for the wedding. I convinced him to go to the doctor. He did, then he had to go to the hospital. He didn't want to tell me what was going on, he said that it was nothing, just a check up. One day, Matthew came home. I will never forget the look on his face." Tino tried to calm down, but tears were already escaping his eyes, some of them falling into his hot chocolate. Then he continued, "He sat down on the bed and asked me to sit with him. He brought me onto his lap and hugged me tightly. We rested our heads on each others shoulders. I could feel his warm tears soaking through my shirt." Tino's voice broke, and choked the rest of the story out through tears and light sobs. "He gave me one ore tight squeeze and said, "Tino, I'm dying. I have four months left." then he began crying till he fell asleep from exhaustion. He had terminal cancer, there was nothing we could do. Just wait, wait for the day that he would pass away." Tino was now sobbing loudly, trying to calm himself as much as he could. "Four months after that day... He died." after the last words Tino broke down and didn't even care what was going on around him.

Peter was now in tears too, he mumbles a quick "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad." and left to go upstairs to his room. There he cried quietly, sadness hearing the storry and making Tino cry overwhelmed him. Downstairs Tino was still crying, his face red and wet with tears. Berwald had his cheeks stained with tears too, the story being way too much for him to handle. However, seeing Tino cry like that was even worse. He couldn't take it anymore. Something in Berwald snapped. He turned around, picked Tino up from his sit and brought him into a tight, warm hug...

* * *

Author notes~

Okay, so, I did cry while writing the ending of this chapter and my kayboard was wet from my tears, and I'm not even lying. I hope you cried too, because that was kinda my goal. Now, before you start hating on me and saying that it's impossible to die after such a short time after discovering you have cancer. Yes it is possible, my step dad died that way. Next, I did check and six years ago it was possible for Matt and Tino to get same-sex marriage in Canada. It got legalized in 2005. Yes, Mattew is Canada. No, I do not hate Mattew, he is actually one of my favorite characters in Hetalia. Sorry for killing him... I always appreciate your reviews, so please do rewiev. Also, I do not own Hetalia in any way, but I do won this story. See you soon...

Alexandrite-Raven


	5. I'm cold

Chapter 5 - I'm cold

What Berwald have just dome shocked Tino greatly. The world began spinning around him. He sobbed quietly now, being calmed down by Berwald's hug. He hugged him back, holding tightly, the memories of the past fading with each sob and breath he took. Tino buried his face in Berwald's chest, hoping to get more comfort from the worth that Berwald was radiating.

Berwald tighten his hug, stroking Tino's hair gently to sooth his pain. After a minute or two, Tino calmed down completely, only a few shaky breaths revealing that he just cried. Even though Tino was now calm, he still held on to Berwald, not moving a single muscle.

Berwald kissed the top of Tino's head, trying to reassure Tino, that he was there for him. His hair was soft, it smelt like lavender and oranges. Tino squealed at Berwald's action. "S-Sorry, Tino" he said sheepishly. Berwald loosened his grip on Tino, then he let go of him completely. However, Tino was still holding him just as close as he did before the kiss.

Berwald decided to hug Tino once again. If he wasn't letting go, it meant he wanted to be held. Tino's breath became much calmer and deeper, he could feel the warm breath of the Finn through his shirt. Tino felt extremely sleepy now, Berwald's warmth and his smell, a mix of pinewood, cinnamon an cardamon. He felt the drowsiness overtaking him. Soon, he fell asleep.

Few minutes passed and Berwald realized that Tino have fell asleep. He picked him up gently and placed him on the couch, covering him with a blanket so that he wouldn't catch a cold. Berwald stood next to Tino for a moment, then he grabbed two mugs with, now semi-cold, chocolate, a couple of cupcakes and made his way upstairs to Peter's room. He walked slowly and quietly up the dark, mahogany stairs, careful not to wake Tino up.

...

Berwald sat on Peter's bed eating a cupcake and thinking about what Tino told them a couple of minutes ago. "Is Tino okay?" asked Peter, eating one of his cupcakes. He felt guilty, he was the one to ask Tino, and that resulted in him having a breakdown."Ja, his sleepin' now." answered Berwald. Peter was quiet for a moment, not making eye contact. He just sat by his desk, staring straight ahead at the nice view from his bedroom window. The garden was all that he saw, dead grass and leafless trees, they would all come back to live soon, Spring was in the air.

He knew that his father was looking at him, but he didn't want to turn around and face him. He had something important to ask, but he didn't want to see the look on his father's face. It would either be anger or sadness, and Peter didn't wanna see either, so he chose to just stare out the window with his ocean-blue, sad eyes and ask. "Why won't you tell him Papa?" he said quietly. Berwald was a little confused, he kept his eyes fixed on Peter, waiting for him to continue. Peter knew why his Papa was silent, he continued. "I know you have feelings for Tino. I can see it in your eyes. Why won't you tell him?" he asked once again. Berwald, upon hearing his son's statement choked on his cupcake. He coughed for a moment and drank some of his chocolate to sooth his throat. "Ja. I like Tino, but I dunno him well. He might have s'meone already." answered Berwald, sadness was clear in his voice. Peter chose to turn around, his Papa was definitely sad.

He stood up, walked to his bed, sat next to his father and hugged him. Peter knew that was what he needed now. "Then why won't you just ask him?" Peter looked up at his Papa's face, if not for him being in the room, his Papa would probably cry. Peter knew, that even though his Papa had an intimidating appearance, he was really sensitive and easily overwhelmed by emotions. "'s not that easy P'ter." Berwalds voice already held the shakiness which meant, he was on the verge of crying. Peter hugged him tighter, trying to comfort his father. "I can ask him if you're too shy to do it." suggested Peter, his voice getting a happier tone. "No." was all that Berwald said. Peter was a little disappointed, but he knew it's better to just let it go.

...

A couple of hours went by, and Tino woke up with a headache. He didn't know where he was, it was dark. The only thing that could see, were the vague shapes of furniture. _Wait a second... This isn't my furniture. Where am I?, _Tino was confused for a minute or two, but then it hit him. All of the events from earlier that day came back, crashing onto him. He sat up, just to notice he's sitting on a couch, covered by a thick, woolen blanket. He snuggled to it, it smelt like Berwald, a deep, rich scent. Tino blushed a bit, remembering how he was clinging to Berwald earlier on. He snugged to the blanked more, inhaling Berwald's smell deeply.

Tino made his decision to look for Berwald, he now knew where he was, so it would be easier. He walked cautiously through the living room and into the kitchen. Tino tripped on something and fell to the ground. He didn't make much noise, but he did hurt himself, his leg was killing him. He stood up after a moment, once he realized the entire ground floor was empty, he made his way to the stairs, really watching his steps this time. He walked up the smooth, wooden staircase. The only trace of light, was the one, coming from the slightly opened door.

It was Berwald's bedroom. Tino peeped in through the tiny opening, and saw Berwald lying on his bed, reading a book. The room was dimly lit by the small lamp on Berwald bedside table. The lamp was small with a nice design, the creamy colour of it, complimented the bedside table, which was the same colour as the staircase, dark mahogany, with a very elegant design. The rest of Berwald's bedroom wasn't very exciting, a wardrobe on the right, a bed on the left, both made from the same wood with the same shade of it. The window frames too, had the same colour. It all worked together perfectly well, for the rest of his bedroom was a warm creamy colour, even Berwald's pajamas. The light adding a very romantic touch to the elegancy of Berwald's comfort zone.

Tino said a very quiet "Hello" and opened the door slightly more. Berwald beckoned Tino to walk into the room and told him to close the door. Tino did just that, stood by the closed door and asked, "What time is it?" he didn't want to disturb Berwald any further and just go home. "'s 11:30 P.M." he answered. Tino widened his eyes, how long did he sleep for? "I need to go home, it's really late." he said, a little pissed off at himself for causing so much trouble. Berwald shook his head and patted the empty space on the bed beside him. Tino just stood there, gaping at Berwald. "Sit down." said Berwald in a low beckoning tone. Tino walked up to the bed and sat next to Berwald, his voice was too sexy to reject.

"I can't leave P'ter alone when he's sleepin'. Ya haven' got yer car, and I don't want ya to walk ar'und the streets alone wh'n's late and dark." Berwald said quietly. "I don't want ya gettin' hurt." he added in a soft voice. "What should I do then?" asked Tino, he already knew what the answer would be to that question, but he asked anyway. "Ya can stay ov'r t'night." was Berwald's answer to that, and it was exactly what Tino have expected. "I can't. I've already caused you too much trouble." he didn't wanna be a burden on anyone, and especially not Berwald. "I won't let ya out the house." Berwald's voice became a little louder and not as soft as it was before. "Fine." was all that Tino could say. He knew very well that he had no chances to win this argument.

...

Berwald got upa and went to his wardrobe, opened it and looked for something for Tino to wear and a towel. Tino watched with curiosity at what Berwald was doing, or rather, watching Berwald's fine ass swaying left and right. Tino bit his lip and tried to think of something else, he'll need a cold shower soon. However, Tino's fun didn't last for long, as Berwald spoke, "What time do ya start work t'morrow?" he asked while handing Tino a black towel and a baby-blue pajama top. "10 A.M." his voice was quiet, trying to hide the shakiness of it. _Why does he have to be so hot? _"I'll drive ya home after I drop P'ter to school." he informed Tino. "Will ya be okay with wearin' boxers? My pajama bott'ms will fall off of ya." he added with a chuckle. "Yeah, sure, thank you Berwald. You're too kind to me." Tino wasn't sure how to thank him, he felt kinda bad now.

Berwald got a pair of black boxers from the drawer and handed them to Tino. He then grabbed two burgundy colored blankets from his wardrobe. "Go get a shower." he said and placed the blankets on the bed. "Okay" agreed Tino. He grabbed his towel and the his new pajamas, and went to the bathroom.

Tino was getting a shower, Berwald had nothing to do, so, he thought it's a good idea to make his bed ready for Tino and get the couch ready for himself. He wouldn't let his guest, no, he wouldn't let Tino, sleep on the couch, he deserved better.

Tino finished his shower, got dressed and walked into the bedroom, only to find it empty. Berwald finished making his couch ready and as comfortable as he could, and went upstairs. He entered hush bedroom, what greeted him, was one of the most beautiful sights he ever saw. Tino was standing by his desk on the right, bending over lightly, to look out the window. Tino's pale skin was softly illuminated by the sunset-yellow glow of the lamp. His long, slim legs exposed nicely, the black boxers, which were too small for Berwald but fit Tino perfectly, made his as look amazing and very squeezable. This thought, made Berwald's heart skip a bit. Tino turned around, the baby-blue shirt covering his boxers, making him look incredibly cute. Both of them blushed, Tino tried to cover himself more by pulling the shirt as low as he could.

"Yer cute." Berwald whispered, the words slipped from his lips before he could even catch them. Berwald blushed more immediately, realizing what he just said, trying to look anywhere but at Tino. Tino heard what Berwald just said, but decided to ignore it. He blushed too and made his way to the door, he knew he should leave Berwald alone now. "Where are ya goin'?" asked Berwald, stopping Tino just before he exited the room. "Downstairs, to sleep on the couch." Tino answered calmly. "Nej, I'll sleep on the couch, ya sleep here." Berwald's voice got a bit firmer. "I've already bothered you enough Berwald." Tino argued, trying his best not to look a little annoyed. Berwald didn't say anything this time, instead, he just spun around and ran downstairs, leaving Tino alone in his bedroom.

Tino sighed and went to the bed. He just sat on it at first, but it was so comfortable, he just somehow slipped under the covers and lied there. He looked at the ceiling, thinking about Berwald for a few minutes. When the first inklings of drowsiness started to fall onto his eyelids, Tino switched off the light and snuggled under the silky covers. The bed was wonderful, it was a king size if not bigger, the silk bed sheets hugged Tino tightly, making him feel warm and comfortable. Tino made himself more comfortable on the fluffy, cream-colored pillow and started to relax. The thing that Tino noticed next, sent shivers down Tino's spine. It was Berwald's scent, the same one that he fell asleep to earlier that day. A deep, rich mix of pinewood and gingerbread. It was soothing, making Tino's drowsiness harder to fight against. Soon, Tino gave up and surrendered to his overwhelming tiredness. He fell asleep in Berwald's bed.

...

However, Berwald couldn't fall asleep. He moved from one side to another, getting a drink of water, then trying to sleep again. The thing that was keeping him awake, was Tino. The thoughts of him revolving in his mind, keeping him wide awake. Just then, Berwald remembered, that he didn't say goodnight to Tino. He quickly got up from the couch and tiptoed upstairs and into his bedroom. To Berwald's disappointment, Tino was already asleep, but that wouldn't stop him from saying goodnight. Berwald closed the door behind and shuffled across the room, to where Tino was sleeping. He was murmuring something in his sleep, hugging one of his pillows close to his chest.

Tino was dreaming of Berwald. He was with him, in the bed, hugging and kissing, it was perfect. His dream was so emotional to him, that he actually hugged a pillow and quietly babble some incoherent noises, purring and smiling in his sleep.

Berwald, even though he didn't know what Tino was dreaming of, thought that it was immensely adorable. He bend down, whispered a quiet "Goodnight." to his ear and kissed Tino on the forehead. He was just about to stand up straight again, but Tino grabbed him and hugged him tight. He murmured something for a few seconds and then, with a silent, smooth, sleepy voice he said, "Ber, hmm, I'm cold." then he continued to purr gently down Berwald's ear. Berwald chuckled lowly, trying to keep it quiet, but the cuteness of the smaller man below him was too much for him to handle. He was certain Tino was still asleep, which only made him cuter. Berwald took a few deep breaths and tried to wiggle his way out of Tino's tight grip. Unfortunately, Tino's arms only tightened around Berwald's chest, making it impossible for him to move much. Berwald really didn't want to wake Tino up, so, the only thing left to do, was to give up and sleep with Tino. He shifted his body, so that he wouldn't be lying on top of the tiny Finn, wrapped his arms around him and fell asleep.

...

The following morning, Tino woke up earlier than usual. This was probably because for once he had a comfortable bed to sleep in. Tino felt warm, really warm. It was a nice warmth, one he didn't experienced in a few years. This kind of warmth, was the nicest, one that came from another body and cuddled him to sleep. _What!, _the realization hit him head on. He shot his eyes wide open, next to him was Berwald, still asleep, his face gentle and relaxed, nothing like what he usually looked like. But what the bloody hell was he doing sleeping next to him, holding him tightly to his chest?! Not that he didn't like it, it was nice, very nice to be honest, but that still didn't explain anything! What exactly happened last night?

* * *

~Author Notes

Well, I am really sorry for making the last chapter so "depressing?", yeah, I kinda feel bad with killing Matthew. Anyway, I hope that this chapter was a bit happier. A couple of you suggested that i should add more description of the surrounding, I tried, don't know if it worked, please tell me. I'm sorry if something doesn't make sense or if I made some stupid spelling mistakes, if there are any errors like that, please PM me. I didn't have the energy to read it through, because i literally just finished writing it (It's 11:30 P.M in UK) and I have promised some people that I will update today, so, there you go lovely readers. Reviews from you make me really happy, I love reading them and they encourage me to write better, so if you feel like it, please leave a review. I would like to thank all of you that have been with me from the beginning and all of those that joined recently, because you are the only reason this story exists! If you have any suggestions on how I could improve my future chapters, don't be afraid to PM me, I will gladly hear you out and try my best to improve. Also, I do not own Hetalia in any way, but I do own this story. Alright, I will try to update ASAP, probably end of this week or beginning of the next one. See you soon...


	6. I'm sorry

Chapter 6 - I'm sorry

Tino tried to get up, but Berwald only cuddled him closer to his chest. "Berwald." Tino whispered softly, not wanting to be cruel and scream down Berwald's ear when he was asleep. Berwald just mumbled something and hugged Tino tighter. He liked being held tightly by the larger man, he felt safe and as if he belonged in Berwald's arms. However, this was kind of awkward since they haven't been going out and only knew each other for just a bit more than a week.

"Berwald." he tried once more, a little louder, his voice still gentle and smooth. This time, Berwald opened his eyes slightly, but once Berwald saw Tino so close to him, his eyes widened greatly. "Good morning" said Tino quietly, moving few centimeters away from Berwald. The Swede just stared at him sheepishly.

"Why are you in bed with me Berwald? And why were we hugging like that?" asked Tino, a little worried about what's the answer's going to be.

The only choice that Berwald had, was to tell Tino what happened and why. He took a deep breath, sat up and started explaining the awkward situation. "I didn' say goodnight t' ya, so I c'me into the room t' say it. Ya were asleep so I w'lked up t' the bed, said goodnight and leaned in t' give ya a kiss on the f'rehead." he explained, mumbling the part about the kiss quietly. Tino narrowed his eyes at that part and waited patiently for Berwald to continue. However, Berwald didn't. "And? How did you ended up in bed with me?" Tino's curiosity was taking over him. "Ya were murmuring in yer sleep. When I kissed ya, ya wrapped yer arms ar'und me and said ya were cold." he explained, his voice getting quieter with each word.

Just then, Tino remembered his dream. The dirty images popping back into his mind. He shook his head trying to forget it for now, his cheeks getting rosy red. He felt stupid for looking at Berwald with anger in his eyes and blaming him for what wasn't completely his fault.

"It's okay, it wasn't yer fault, ya were asleep. I should've tried hard'r to get out of yer grip, but I didn' wanna wake ya up... 'm sorry." apologised Berwald.

"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks for not waking me up though." said Tino, a small smile brightened up his face. Tino wasn't really angry with Berwald in the first place, he just wanted explanation.

The alarm went off and Tino sat up quickly, breaking out slightly at the loud, unexpected noise. Berwald turned it off quickly and Tino chuckled to himself at how nervous he was around Berwald. The young Finn took a look at the bedroom, it looked much less romantic in normal day light. Tino was a little disappointed at that, he liked Berwald's bedroom after twilight, it looked cosy. He looked at the clock, it was 8 A.M. Tino lied back down, Berwald did the same, trying not to lie too close to the little Finn.

After a few seconds, Peter stormed into the room, screaming "Good morning Papa!" but stopping all at once, after realizing who was in his father's bed with him. He stared at them both for a moment. "Sorry, I didn't meant to interrupt you two." said Peter and walked away, closing the door behind him.

Once Peter left, Tino and Berwald looked at each other and blushed. _Well that was embarrassing,_ they both thought. Tino covered himself with the quilt, pulling it over his head and curling into a little ball. He was cold, now that Berwald's warmth was gone.

"Are ya cold Tino?" asked Berwald, lifting the blanket a little, to see Tino's cute face. "Yeah, a little." said Tino, his voice quiet and a little shaky. "Want a hug?" asked the Swede, moving a bit closer to Tino. Tino looked at the white ceiling, "Maybe." he answered in a smooth, suggestive tone. "I'll take th't as a yes." Berwald's voice was smooth and creamy like melted chocolate. He hugged Tino, wrapping his arms tightly around the small frame of the Finnish man.

Berwald brushed his hand gently across Tino's waist. The smaller man chuckled quietly from the touch. "Yer ticklish." stated Berwald with a playful smirk overtaking his lips. Tino's face fell, he narrowed his eyes dangerously, "Don't you dare." he said. His voice cold and warning, holding a threat in its tone.

Berwald was in a privileged position, he was holding Tino already, making it easier for him to make his next move. There was no way for Tino to hurt him, he was weaker than him and couldn't use his hands right now. He shifted so that now he was above Tino and he straddled his thighs, so that Tino won't be able to kick him. He began tickling the small Finnish man bellow him, but Tino wouldn't give up without a fight.

Tino bursted into hysterical laughter and tried with all his power to push Berwald off of him. However, Tino woke up just a couple of minutes ago and he was still weak. Tino was quite successful in his struggles of getting the Swede off of him, but all he really done, was push him up a little bit, nothing more. Tino tried harder, but Berwald would have none of that. He stopped tickling Tino and grabbed both of his tiny hand. Once he got Tino under control, he moved Tino's right hand into his right hand. Now, holding both of Tino's hands in his dominant hand, he moved them above Tino's head, making it impossible for the younger man to move.

He continued tickling Tino, the Finn trying to break free from the harmless tortures. Tears started to form in Tino's eyes from to much laughter and his stomach began to hurt. He begged Berwald to stop and upon seeing tears in Tino's eyes, the Swede stopped. He let go of his hands and got off of him. Tino was trying to catch his breath while Berwald just chuckled at how adorable Tino can be.

Tino looked at Berwald, happiness burning in his amethyst eyes. "Well, at least I'm not cold anymore." said the Finn, taking short breaths between his words. Berwald smiled at Tino and swung his legs off of the bed, sitting at the edge of it. "I'll go make breakf'st." he informed Tino. Tino hummed in aproval, however, he had a plan for his revenge and now was the perfect opportunity. Berwald stood up, not looking back at Tino and stretched his arms up in the air. Tino sneaked up behind Berwald and right in the moment when he was about to make his way to the door, he jumped up from the bed, wrapped his arms around Berwald's waist and pulled him back down onto the bed. Tino's plan was perfect, the only chance he got against the taller and much stronger man, was taking him by surprise.

Berwald didn't expect Tino to attack him, he was way to shocked to even try and defend himself. Tino made his movements quick, this time he straddled Berwald and began tickling him. It turned out Berwald was very ticklish too, as he made an extremely high pitched noise that startled Tino. He never expected Berwald out of all people, to be one to make such a sharp shriek. Tino stopped tickling Berwald immediately and just stared at him, still not believing what he just heard.

Berwald took the opportunity to quickly flip their positions, he threw Tino on the mattress and pinned him to it. Once again, Tino couldn't move, he didn't expect that at all, he chuckled. His hands were held to the soft mattress below him, Berwald's legs were on each side of Tino's hips. This time, Berwald wasn't straddling him, he was just on his hands and knees, and Tino was below him. He was held loosely by Berwald, Tino could easily squirm out from this position or kick Berwald, as his legs were free now. However, Tino didn't want to, Berwald just looked deep into his eyes, smiling gently and not making a move to begin tickling him again. Berwald smiled at Tino and Tino recognized that smile, it was the same one as on Saturday. That soft, loving smile, that Peter said, Berwald gave only to his wife.

Berwald let go of Tino's wrists and laid his hands just above Tino's shoulders. Tino, without even thinking about it, cupped Berwald's face with one of his, now free, hands. His smile changed into a small smirk and his eyes gained a hint of lust in them. Berwald caught the hint and began slowly lowering himself, bringing his body closer to Tino's with each second. He was now low enough to lean on his elbows, he slipped one of his hands under Tino's back and the other up to Tino's round face, cupping it gently. Berwald was now close enough for Tino to feel his warm breath on his lips, this send shivers down Tino's spine. Their lips were millimeters apart, one more second and...

"Papa, when will you make... breakfast?" Peter stormed into his father's bedroom second time this morning. Both Tino and Berwald, rapidly turned their heads towards the small boy standing in the door way. Peter froze and gaped sheepishly at his father and their... gardener? No, Peter was certain Tino was something more to both of them now.

Berwald got off of Tino and out of bed. "Sorry." he murmured to Tino quietly and walked towards where his son was standing. "Sorry, P'ter. I'll go make breakf'st now." he said while passing his son on the way to the kitchen, Peter followed him.

Tino was left alone and cold in the, now empty, king size bed. He was sad and a little pissed off too. He was just about to get his first kiss with his new crush, and not only that, it would be his first kiss in six years. The lonely days were looking to be over soon, but Tino wasn't ready to start a new relationship before. What happened in his life a few years ago hurt him greatly, and only not long ago did Tino start to somehow move on with his life. But, there was Peter, who unintentionally spoiled his best chance to get into a new relationship. Now everything would just be awkward and out of place.

Now that Tino was alone, he took the opportunity to change back into his cloths from yesterday. Berwald was downstairs making breakfast, he wasn't speaking to Peter because he was a little mad at him for not knocking on the door and just storming in like that. Once Tino finished changing, he went downstairs and into the living room, where he got greeted by the wonderful smell of bacon and eggs. Berwald and Peter were already sitting by the table, Tino sat next to Berwald, the atmosphere was tense and awkward.

"I'm sorry for not knocking on the door before i came into your bedroom Papa." apologised Peter, not making eye contact with either Berwald or Tino. "'s okay. Just knock n'xt time." answered Berwald. "I'm sorry to you too, Tino." Peter apologised to Tino now. "It's okay, really." Tino reassured Peter, who looked like he was about to cry. He said it was okay, but really he was quite pissed off inside.

No more words were exchanged during the breakfast between any of them. Peter was a little down, filling Tino's and his Papa's anger towards him, and Tino with Berwald was pissed of because of what happened. Once they finished eating breakfast, Peter went upstairs to change and Tino offered to helped Berwald with cleaning after breakfast. They didn't speak, the atmosphere being way too awkward for some reason. Then, after they finished cleaning up, Berwald ran upstairs to quickly get changed too. Tino waited for them to come downstairs for a few minutes, then, when everyone was ready to go, Tino grabbed his stuff and they all went outside to get into the car and go to their destinations.

...

The entire way to Peter's school was silent. Berwald and Tino both thought of only one thing, each other. They reached Peter's school pretty quickly, Peter said bye, got out of the car and ran to school. Tino and Berwald wanted to break the uncomfortable silence, however, both of them didn't know what to say, feeling as if any word could just make things more awkward. Tino was forced to speak up, even though he didn't want to, he had to give directions to Berwald, so that he knew where to turn, to get to Tino's house. Tino's mind was full of Berwald, he wanted to kiss him, he was desperate. Berwald had the exact same problem as Tino, he was desperate for those soft-looking, Finnish lips of Tino.

In a few minutes, they got to Tino's house, and Tino started panicking. He wanted to kiss Berwald, but he had no time to think about how to do it and not make it awkward. Berwald turned the engine off, _It is now or never, _he thought. "Umm, thanks for everything Berwald." said Tino. _That's a shit way to do it Tino... well done._ The Finn slapped himself mentally. "Ja, no problem." was all that Berwald could think of, he wanted to jump Tino there and then, but he wasn't sure how the smaller man would react. Tino sighed, "Well... see you Saturday." Tino's voice was sad, no previous joy present in it anymore. His lavender eyes didn't sparkle anymore. "Ja, bye." said Berwald with equal melancholy in his tone.

Tino got out of the car and closed the door behind him, he waved to Berwald while he worked towards his front door, Berwald waved back. Tino opened his front door and went inside, he could hear that Berwald didn't start his car yet, he was just sitting in it, like e was waiting for something. He came inside, closed the door behind him and banged his head on his front door. "How do you manage to be so stupid?!" Tino asked himself out loud. _Fuck it!, _he thought, _I'll go and kiss him, I have nothing to lose. _Tino opened his front door again, with the hope that Berwald's car would still be there. He stepped out of his house and looked to where Berwald's black Volvo was before he left, but now, it was gone.

* * *

~Author Notes

Hello, I'm back with another chapter, and only two day after I've posted the last one. I'm trying to get as much done as I can now, because soon the school year will begin, I'll be back in collage and no time for writing. I will still try to update as soon as possible, but it will probably be once every two weeks or so. I hope this chapter was cute and that I haven't made too many spelling mistakes. Please feel free to kick me if I killed it with my bad grammar. Yes, Sealand is a cockblock, I know... Thank you, to all the reviewers, there is nothing better than reading your opinion on what I've written. I'm waiting for more to come, they're all awesome like Prussia! If there are any ideas that you have, on how to improve my writing, as usual, don't hesitate to PM me. Also, I do not own Hetalia in any way, but I do own this story. See you soon...

Alexandrite-Raven


	7. I finally know how you feel

Chapter 7 - I finaly know how you feel

Tino stood outside his frond door, staring at the empty space, where Berwald's car was just a minute ago. He stared for a moment longer and went inside, sad and cold. It was almost time for him to go out to work. Tino ran to his bedroom to get changed, he didn't have time for a shower. He grabbed his work clothes; a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray, long sleeved shirt. He wanted to look at the time, he reached into a pocket in his jacket to get his phone, but it wasn't there. Tino looked everywhere for his phone, but it was nowhere to be found. Just then he remembered he must have left it on Berwald's bedside table, he forgot all about it. At that thought, he facepalmed. Tino had to go over to Ber's and get his phone, but first, he had to check what time it was. He ran to his living room and looked at the silver, digital clock on his white wall. It was 9:40 A.M, he didn't have time to go and get his phone now, it would have to be after work. Tino grabbed the keys to his navy blue van and left the house, locking the white wooden doors behind him.

...

Berwald came home, thoughts of Tino spinning in his head. _I should have kissed him when we were in the car. _He walked into his office, taking a look at his paper work that had piled over the short amount of time that took him to move to his new house. He took a glance at his most urgent project and decided to get started with his work. It was a design for a lamp, he had to finish it by Wednesday.

Berwald thought of Tino, of how soft his skin felt this early morning, when he touched him gently, how light he was when he lifted him, his glimmering eyes and the pink, full lips he almost had. Berwald's thoughts got cut off by a loud obnoxious noise. It was a phone, ringing somewhere in his house. He stood up and stepped into the corridor, trying to locate where the tune was coming from. It was upstairs, in his bedroom, on his bedside table. However, the phone ringing, wasn't his phone, it was Tino's.

Berwald smiled at the thought, that Tino would have to drop by today to get his phone from him. He looked at the phone that was still ringing loudly, it was someone who was probably Tino's customer. Berwald grabbed the cell phone and put it in his pocket, not answering it. He turned it off and went beck downstairs and into his office to finish his work. Tino was back in his mind, distracting him from doing what he was supposed to do. Berwald smiled to himself and tried to concentrate on his work.

...

It was now time to pick Peter up from school, Berwald grabbed his jacket and car keys, and made the short journey to Peter's school. Peter was already waiting for him, Alexander standing next to him with his parents behind him. "Papa, can I go to Alexander's today?" asked Peter, a wide grin on his little face. "Ja sure. If Alexand'r's par'nts are okay with it." Berwald looked at the two young people standing behind the little ginger boy. The father of his son's friend nodded, showing he's perfectly fine with it. "What time do ya want me to pick ya up?" Berwald just realized what that meant, he would be alone with Tino, maybe. "6 P.M?" Peter asked, looking up at Alexander's parents. "If that's okay with ya, Mr Oxenstierna?" the short blond woman asked. "Ja, 's fine." Berwald hugged Peter and got Alexander's address.

"I'm sorry for this morning Papa." apologized Peter, hugging his father warmly. "'s okay now." reassured Peter, ruffling his hair. Peter ran off with Alexander, to where his car was parked. Berwald waved to his son, got to his own car and drove home.

...

It was 3:50 P.M, Berwald had nothing to do, but to wait for Tino or finish his work. Waiting was boring, so he chose the more time consuming task, made himself some coffee and got back to work. It was nearly 4 P.M and Berwald didn't know what time Tino finished work today. He just sat at his desk and thought of Tino, time passing slowly and his coffee getting cold, he wast lost in his daydream. One that included Tino, half naked and lying on his bed, beckoning him to come closer. Berwald shook his head, trying to get the tempting image out of his head before he got too aroused. He drank some of his lukewarm coffee and began working on his project again, trying to distract himself from thinking of Tino again.

...

Tino finished work and was home at 5 P.M. He just finished working for that customer and now he had free Mondays, until he got a new customer in his place.

Tino took a shower, brushed his teeth for about five minutes, making sure he was squeaky clean. He changed into some normal clothes and went outside, deciding to walk to Berwald's to get more time to think. Tino thought over and over in his head, what he'll do once he sees Berwald once more today. He was thinking of that the entire day, thinking of what he should've done but didn't do. He got to Berwald's front door way to quickly, he barely noticed the flow of time and how fast he was walking.

It was 5:20 P.M, when Berwald heard a quiet knock on the door, he knew exactly who it was. He got up and quickly made his way to the front doors, opening them he saw a tired little Finnish man standing in front of him. "C'me in. I know why yer here." Berwald chuckled and moved out of Tino's way. Tino came into the warm house that smelled so familiar to him now, it felt comfortable and welcoming, the peachy and creamy painted walls making the house look much cozier, than his own, cold, white one.

Tino chuckled softly, "Sorry for bothering you Ber." he said, standing dully by Berwald's closed, front door. "Ber?" asked Berwald, raising his eyebrow. "Umm, sorry. Can I call you that?" asked Tino sheepishly. "Ja, sure. And ya never both'r me." Berwald's voice softened. He fished around his pocket for what Tino came here for and once he got it, he took it out. Tino saw his little cell phone in Berwald's large palm. Berwald held his palm open for Tino to take his cell. The small Finn reached for the phone, once he touched it, Berwald closed his hand, holding both Tino's hand and his cell. He reached for Tino's other hand and held it in his, lacing their fingers together.

Tino looked up at Berwald and gave his hand a little squeeze. Berwald smiled at Tino and let go of one of Tino's hands, so that he could take his phone and put it in his pocket. Tino did just that and held Berwald's hand once more, also lacing his fingers on that hand with Berwald's. He then moved closer to the Swede, their bodies a few centimeters apart. Berwald let go of one of Tino's hand, just to wrap his arm around the smaller man's lower back, pulling him closer, so that their chests met. Tino did the same with his free hand, feeling Berwald's lower back a tiny bit lower than Ber held him. He let go of his other hand, lifting it up to gently cup Berwald's face.

They looked deeply into each other's eyes, drinking in the intimacy and lust pouring from them. Berwald looked into Tino's unusual, violet eyes. They were glimmering like two round amethyst stones in a warm summer spring, staring right into his soul, piercing right through his heart. Berwald couldn't take it anymore, the intensity of Tino's stare was too much, he couldn't handle it. He leaned down slowly closing the distance between them. Tino moved his hand from berwald's face to his hair, running his fingers through them. Tino's heart was beating so fast in his chest, it was almost painful and Berwald moved closer and closer with every second.

Tino couldn't take the wait anymore and he leaned into the kiss, both Berwald and Tino, tightly held each other. Tino's cheeks immediately took on a red hue, he parted his lips and brushed his tongue against Berwald's soft lips, checking what response he'd get from that.

Berwald purred quietly, feeling Tino's soft tongue on his lips, he parted them and began moving them over Tino's, sucking and delicately nibbling on his bottom lip. Tino did the same, pulling Berwald closer to deepen the kiss. It was nothing like what they both imagine, their first kiss wasn't shy and unsure, but full and passionate. They both loved it.

They kissed for a while, tongues fighting for dominance, exploring each other's mouths, taking in as much as they possibly could. However, everything has to end somewhere. They broke the kiss, desperate for a breath, gasping for air.

Berwald smirked at Tino, grabbed his hand, showing him to follow him into the living room. Tino followed obediently, knowing that they weren't finished yet. Berwald sat on the couch, pulling Tino onto his lap and kissed him again. Tino was happy that Berwald felt the same way about this as he did, all the worries from before were now long forgotten.

Berwald wrapped his arms around Tino and placed his hands on Tino's lower back, moving one of his large hands lower, grabbing Tino's ass and squeezing it gently. Tino moaned at the unexpected touch, he definitely liked where this was going. He slipped one of his hands under Berwald's shirt, feeling his well toned abs and chest, he moved the other hand to Berwald's soft hair, massaging the base of his skull, making Berwald purr and squeeze his ass a little harder. Unfortunately, they got disturbed once again, this time, by Berwald's phone.

It was his alarm, set for 5:45 P.M, reminding Berwald that he had to pick Peter up from his friend's. Berwald sighed and gently pulled Tino away, turning the phone off, he looked at Tino. "I need t' take P'ter fr'm his friend's house." he informed Tino. "He's not home?" asked Tino, surprised at that, getting off of Berwald's lap. "Nej. He's not. Wanna go with me t' get him?" asked the Swede, getting up and grabbing his car keys and his jacket. "Yeah!" exclaimed the younger man, hugging Berwald warmly. Berwald hugged him back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "'kay, lets go th'n."

* * *

~Author Notes

Okay, there. I hope I didn't fail to badly with writing the kissing scene. Alright, so I've promised two people to give them shout outs. One goes to my amazing friend, fenhong-orchidea, whose amazing fan fic made me cry twice today. The other, goes to my other awesome friend, larissita, whose fan fics i can't read, for I do not speak French. Thank you to all of those who reviewed, favorited and followed my story. As always, please review/follow/favorite this story, because all of that makes me happy and gives me the strength and inspiration to write more. Also, I do not own Hetalia in any way, but I do own this story. See you soon...

Alexandrite-Raven


	8. Help me

Chapter 8 - Help me!

Tino followed Berwald outside into the cold, afternoon, late March air. They made their way to the car and got into it, Berwald turned on the heating so that the car would warm up. He waited for a minute or so, and when the car started to get more comfortable, Berwald made his way out of his driveway. Tino and Berwald were quiet, enjoying the comfortable silence and presence of each other. Half way through the journey, the Swede decided to kill the comfy mood with a question. "Wh'n do ya have days off?" his voice was calm and full of hope for some reason. "Sundays, but now Mondays too. I've finished working for one of my customers and until I'll find a new one for his place, I'll have Mondays off too." Tino looked out of the window, smiling to himself about how happy he was to have Berwald. "W'uld ya like t' go for a d'nner with me?" asked Berwald, his voice slightly more stressed now. Tino looked at him, he was serious, eyes fixed on the road, stress evident on his face. "Of course! I'd love to!" was Tino's happy answer to that. _So, we'll be going on a date... How cute! _

They got to Alexander's and Peter was already waiting for Berwald, smiling. However, when he saw Tino, his smile grew even bigger and he ran to the Finn, jumping on him and hugging him tightly. "Tino!" Peter wasn't expecting him to be here. "Hi Peter" said Tino, hugging him to his chest.

They drove home in mid silence, Peter chattering about how great his day was today and what he did at Alexander's. They got home at 6:20 P.M, Tino was about to leave and go home, but Peter stopped him "Stay for dinner,Tino!" Tino looked at Berwald, the Swede smiled at him. "Alright."

Tino was happy to help Berwald and Peter in preparing the dinner. It was fun, just like any other time that he spent with them, it was always fun. Well unless bad memories were brought back, but that's different. They made carbonara, it was quick and easy to make. Dancing and singing to ABBA only made things more fun and made the time flow faster. Although they had fun while dancing, it also made them a bit more tired and definitely more hungry.

They each took their plate, full of pasta, to the dining room, sat down and devoured what was on it in record time.

By the time they had a little rest after the dinner, a small chat and cleaned the kitchen it was already 7:40 P.M. Tino had to go home now, he got his stuff together and went to the from door. Peter hugged him tightly, said a quick "Goodnight" and stormed off to his room on the first floor. However, the light on the corridor upstairs wasn't on and that made perfect conditions for Peter to hide in a far dark corner and spy on Tino and his Papa.

Tino and Berwald didn't notice Peter sitting in his spying spot. Berwald hugged Tino warmly, nuzzling his neck and sucking on it gently, not to leave a mark. Tino chuckled quietly, moved back a little and kissed Berwald deeply. "Dr've safely, 'kay?" asked Berwald quietly, a worried look on his face. "Okay" was Tino's soft reply, followed by another deep kiss. "Goodnight dear" Tino's voice saddened a bit. Berwald squeezed Tino in his arms, the little Finn gave a small meep and giggled. "G'night"

Tino left his house, but that wasn't the only thing he left. He also left Berwald feeling extremely happy, however, he was a little sad too, he wished Tino would stay here for longer. Berwald turned around to go upstairs, staring at the door wouldn't bring Tino back into his house. Instead of going upstairs, the Swede decided to make himself some hot tea. He made his way into the clean, black, white and green room, and walked to the kettle. Happiness overtaking his heart and making him a little light-headed. Little did he know, that his son was spying on him and saw him and Tino showing affection way more than friends ever should. He was also unaware that Peter was in the kitchen now, standing right behind him. He turned around, an empty kettle in his hand and screamed upon seeing his son standing less than a meter away from him.

"Wh't are ya doin' here?" his voice calming a little with each breath. "Are you and Tino together? Will he be my new mama?" asked the little boy, his eyes full of hope, waiting for the answer.

Berwald didn't know how to answer this, he wasn't entirely sure himself. Then he realized that Peter must have been spying on them, that made him a little angry, but he let it go quickly, his son was waiting for an answer. "Ja, we're t'geth'r I guess" he said, his voice quiet "and, maybe he will, who kn'ws?" Berwald sighed, that though was nice, he wanted it to be true...

...

Tino was happy, really happy. He was happier than he ever was in a very long time. He drove to his house, thinking about how bright and happy his future looked to be. Meanwhile, Berwald finished making tea and went upstairs to take a shower and go to bed to read a book or something. He was tired, but not tired enough to sleep.

Tino parked his van, locked it and went to his front door, it was dark so he didn't notice what he would've during the day. Unaware of what was about to happen, he put his key in the door, turned it and opened the door.

What greeted him, was a waterfall coming from the ground floor of his house. Tino just stood there staring, but then he rushed into his house and into the kitchen. Sure enough, Tino got all soaked in a flash, as the pipe that has burst by the radiator was like a fountain, directed straight at Tino's face.

Tino looked at the pipe, as if his stare could make it stop leaking. It must have been from the pressure or something, but that didn't matter now, there was about fifteen centimeters of water everywhere on the ground floor of his house. Tino had to deal with it, but he didn't know how, he was a gardener not a plumber for God's sake.

Tino took his phone out of his pocket and went into the living room, dialed Berwald's number and waited. The Swede picked up after a second "Ja? Wh't is it Tino?" he asked a little concerned. "Help me!"

...

After explaining the whole situation, Tino followed Berwald's instructions, he took a cloth and wrapped it around the huge crack in the pipe. Unfortunately, the pressure of the water made it come off of it every time. Tino had no other choice, but to get a bucket and sit by the pipe in the freezing cold water and wait until Berwald will come to rescue him, which meant he'd be there for about twenty minutes. The water from the cloth trickled into the orange bucked and Tino started to shiver from the coldness of the water.

At the same time, Berwald changed back into normal clothes and told Peter to do the same and go with him. He wouldn't leave his son alone in the house for God knows how long. Peter did so without questioning, he sensed that his Papa was stressed out and he didn't want him to irritate him further.

Once they got to the car and Berwald already started the engine, Peter finally asked what happened. Berwald explained everything calmly, but inside he was stressed and worried. "Wow, that's gonna be cool! I've never seen a flooded house or a burst pipe before." exclaimed Peter, he was in a strange way happy about this. Berwald gave him a glare and Peter quickly corrected himself "I-I mean, oh no! We have to help him...quick!" Berwald tried to ignore the half sarcasm in that and just focused on the road.

They got to Tino's house fairly quickly. "St'y in the car f'r now P'ter." Berwald turned the engine off and opened the door. "But I want to go with you." whined Peter. "Nej." was all that Berwald said, he didn't want his son getting wet too. Berwald got out of his car, closed the door and walked to Tino's house quickly. The front door was open and Berwald could see that there was water everywhere in Tino's house, however, it was dark inside. He took his shoes and socks off, left them outside Tino's house, rolled his trousers up and walked into the flooded apartment. "Tino, ya th're?" called Berwald, slowly walking further and further into the house. "Yeah, I'm in the kitchen..." Berwald followed Tino's voice and saw him kneeling by the pipe that was obviously responsible for all this.

Berwald stared at Tino for a moment, he looked kinda hot like this. Tino was on this knees, soaked. The wet shirt sticking to his body, water dripping from his hair. Berwald licked his lips, but he quickly snapped out of it and went to help the small Finn. He took his shirt off and put it down on the couch in the living room, where it would be dry, he then came back to the kitchen. "M've please." said Berwald, crouching next to Tino. Tino did so and the water started gushing out of the pipe again, getting Berwald drenched. "T'rn the w'ter off." Berwald instructed, quite surprised he didn't figure that out by himself earlier. Tino disappeared for a moment, by the time he was back the water stopped flowing.

Once Tino returned, he stopped in the doorway and looked at Berwald, awaiting further instructions. "Ch'nge into s'methin' dry or ya'll c'tch a c'ld." Tino was quick to carry that order out, taking off his shirt and trousers off in front of Berwald, dropping them to the floor where he was standing. Berwald stared, Tino was only in his boxers now, which were wet too and plastered to him. He looked away and blushed, luckily the lack of light in the room saved him. And that reminded him, "Why's the l'ght off?" he asked, trying to distract himself from looking at Tino. "I didn't want to get and electric shock, so I didn't turn it on." was a simple reply that Tino gave the Swede before disappearing upstairs.

After about a minute or so, Tino came back fully dressed, his trousers rolled up, not to get them wet. He had a towel in his hand, which he handed to Berwald. Berwald took the tower from Tino and asked him if he had a spare pipe similar to the one that burst. "Why would I have something like that?" answered Tino with a question, chuckling a little. "F'r s'tuati'ns like th't?" Berwald pointed to the pipe. "Ah, yeah... You're right. No I don't have one." Tino felt a little stupid now.

"Do ya h've a pipe wr'nch?" Berwald dried his hair and chest, luckily his trousers were somehow still dry. "Umm, yeah... I think." said Tino and looked under the sink where he had his tool box. He took out a red pipe wrench and handed it to Berwald. Berwald looked at it in his hand and smiled, _Well, at least he's got tools, _he thought. He put his hand in his pocket and fished around for something, then he got it and handed it to Tino. "Car and house keys?" Tino looked at Berwald quizzically. "Go h'me w'th P'ter, t'll him t' sh'w ya wh're we keep the tools and g't a sp're pipe. I th'nk I h've one th't's the s'me l'ke the one th't h's b'rst." Berwald hugged Tino and shooed him in the direction of the front door.

Tino went outside, it was freezing and his hair was wet, but the first thing he saw, was Peter waving at him madly from the car. Tino smiled and waved back, walking to the car quickly, hoping that it would be much warmer there. He got to the car in less than two seconds, it was warm, unlike his house or outside. "Hey Tino! Are you and Papa together?" Peter asked, happy to see Tino again that day, for the third time actually. "Umm, yeah... Kinda, I think." he thought about it once more. "Yes, yes we are." Tino answered happily, he was sure now. What he and Berwald had might not be the strongest feeling or the longest relationship ever, but he knew that it will bloom into something great and eternal.

Tino told Peter what Berwald asked him to get and started the car. They were chatting about things that happened today and then Peter went into a long monologue about his new school. Before Tino even realized he was at Berwald's, he got out of the car, gave Peter the house keys and followed him into the house and then into a small storage room. He got what he needed, thanked Peter, locked the house and came back into the car. After another monologue from Peter, this time about his friend Alexander, they were back at Tino's.

"Wait in the car Peter, okay? Papa or I will come for you to help us in few minutes." he said hugging the sleepy boy. "Alright." said Peter with a yawn.

Tino came into his house and gave Berwald the pipe. "Th'nk ya." said Berwald, kissing Tino's forehead and getting back to work. Tino watched from the distance as the Swede, still shirtless, changed his pipe. Tino's mouth went dry, he had to get busy with something because things were getting a little too hot. He grabbed a bucket and started collecting water from the floor, pouring it out into the sink.

Berwald finished fairly quickly, put on his shirt and went to get Peter to help them. Tino was about to pour his fifth bucket out when Peter, just like them, without shoes or socks and with rolled up trousers, stormed into the kitchen. "How can i help?!" asked Peter, a little more excited than he should. "You'll help us collect the water," explained Tino, "here, that should be big enough for you." said Tino, handing Peter a medium sized bowl. Peter was collecting water before Tino had the chance to grab his bucket.

Tino and Berwald collected water into big, ten liter buckets and Peter was pouring water into either Berwald's or Tino's bucket. After about an hour the floor was, compare to what it was before, dry_._ "Thank you. I would've died if not for you two." Tino said with a grin. "No pr'bl'm." Berwald reassured Tino, who was a little sad, even though he tried to hide it.

"Will you come home with us, Tino?" Peter's voice was full of hope, but Tino knew he was already over using their hospitality. "He'll c'me w'th us. 'm n't sure how the new pipe will react t' hot wat'r th't goes into the radiat'r. We'll t'rn the heatin' on t'morrow, this house will be freez'n' c'ld in l'ss th'n an hour, 's alr'ady pr'tty c'ld." said Berwald, he's face serious. "Yer goin' with us Tino."

Tino had no other choice, but to silently obey and go upstairs to get some of his things. He got a towel, a tooth brush, his pajamas, his phone and ran downstairs. "Okay, I'm good to go!" said Tino happily and gave Berwald a quick kiss on the cheek. The Swede blushed and followed Tino outside, Peter giggled and skipped to the car while Tino locked his door. Tino got itno the car and snuggled to his things and started to drift away with the soft purr of the engine starting.

...

Peter got out of the car and so did Berwald. He gave the house keys to Peter, walked to Tino's side of the car and opened the door slowly, careful not to wake Tino up. He picked him and his things up bridal style, carried him into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. He placed Tino gently on his soft bed and left him to close the car and the front door.

After he closed everything that needed closing, Berwald decided to make tea for himself and Tino. Meanwhile Peter took a shower and went to sleep, it was almost 10 P.M, way too late for a seven year old boy. Berwald took the drinks , went back upstairs and into his room, but what greeted him was not what he expected. Tino was awake, sitting on the bed without a shirt or trousers on, wearing only his boxers and hugging his towel. Berwald smiled putting their drinks on his desk, he walked to Tino and hugged him tightly. "Go take a hot show'r b'fore ya g't a c'ld." Tino kissed Berwald's neck and stood up to get the shower.

Berwald waited for Tino under the bathroom door, his own towel in hand. Tino came out after about five minutes, wet hair, a few drops of water on his collar bones and chest, a towel wrapped tight around his waist. Berwald eyed Tino and blushed a deep shade of red. Tino obviously noticed the cute blush on Berwalds face, "Sorry, I forgot my pajama." apologized Tino sheepishly. "'s 'kay." replied Berwald, looking somewhere over Tino's shoulder, his voice a little shaky. He went into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

Tino went back to the bedroom, got dressed and hopped into the soft bed, waiting for Berwald's return. He didn't wait for long, because after less than about two minutes, Berwald appeared in the doorway. However, the only thing he was wearing, were boxers. "Umm, you're wearing only boxers?" asked Tino, a little surprised by that. "Ja. I usually wear box'rs or sleep nak'd, b't th't w'uld be a bit awkw'rd. D'n't ya think?" asked Berwald with a raised eyebrow, still standing in the doorway, leaning on the door frame. "Well..." said Tino, looking around a little. What he really wanted to say was _Just take your boxers off, I REALLY don't mind, _but if course, he couldn't say that now. Berwald chuckled quietly, stepped into the room and closed the door behind him...

* * *

~Author Notes

Umm, sorry? Yeah, It's exactly two weeks since I've last updated... I had lots of stress and work. I'm starting school tomorrow (2nd September) and I've spend a lot of time with the paper work for my new collage. I also stressed about the results of my end of school exams, luckily I've passed them all with good grades!

The other thing I was really busy with, was RP-ing with my friend larissita. No, it wasn't just a waste of time, because thanks to her and her generosity, I have four new stories, just waiting to be written down! I'm planing to post the first one (SuFin smut OS) somewhere in late September, but no promises, I might be too busy to write it.

Okay, so, since I'm starting school, which I'm obviously EXTREMELY happy about, since thanks to that I'll have no time for myself and as we all know, this is wonderful! As I used to say in my first few chapters, I will be updating every two weeks or sooner, however it'll probably be just about two weeks due to the lack of time.

I would like to thank all of my new followers and reviewers, you guys are awesome! Once again, sorry for the wait... Also, I do not own Hetalia, but I do own this story. See you soon...

Alexandrite-Raven


	9. Confession

Chapter 9 - Confession

Tino smiled and moved to his side of the bed. Wait, his side? Does that mean Tino had his own place in Berwald's bed already? This thought made him blush a little. Berwald turned off the light and walked towards the bed, he sat on the edge of his side of the bed, took his glasses off and put them on the bedside table. He lied down and instantly pulled the small Finn into a warm hug, bringing him closer to him. Tino squeaked quietly and wrapped his arms around Berwald, his hot, bare chest making Tino flush even more. The Swede cuddled closer to him and nuzzled his hair, sharply breathing in the scent of his light blond locks. Tino buried his face in Berwald's chest and tried to absorb as much of the delicious heat from in front of him as he could.

Berwald purred quietly as Tino's breath ghosted over his chest. Tino heard the soft, low purr and looked up and Berwald looked down at him in response. He could barely see anything without his glasses and on top of that is was dark, he smiled at Tino and kissed the top of his head. Tino smiled, and even though Berwald couldn't see this, he sensed it somehow, the warmth coming from his new found love. He leaned down and kissed Tino's lips gently, the softness of them making the Swede melt and hum gently while deepening the kiss.

Tino pulled Berwald closer, trying his best to deepen the kiss even more. He liked this. He liked this very much. Berwald began gently sucking on Tino's tongue and nibbling on his lips, being gentle, sensual and slow in his movements, making them more intense. Tino moaned into the kiss and pulled himself up slightly, struggling with gaining dominance. He knew he wasn't going to get it, he never had it from the beginning and now he was in no position of gaining power.

Berwald slipped his hand under Tino's shirt and caressed his lower back. Tino's skin was velvety, so soft to the touch, that it was addictive. He was gentle, delicately rubbing small circles on the little Finn's back, just above the waistband of his boxers. Tino quietly moaned into the kiss and thanks to the distraction that Berwald got from caressing his back, he was finally able to gain dominance.

Berwald moved his hand to Tino's sides, forgetting that he's ticklish. He began doing the same thing as with the Finn's back, but he got a different reaction than expected. Tino broke the kiss, jumped back a little, bursting into laughter. "S'rry love" apologized Berwald while chuckling quietly. "It's okay" assured Tino and moved back into Berwald's embrace.

He began leaving little kisses along Berwald's jaw line, earning himself a nice deep and rich purr from the Swede. Berwald moved his hands to Tino's hips, massaging them slowly with his big hands. He really wanted to just take Tino there and then, but he had enough selfcontrol not to do so. Instead, he decided to take Tino's shirt off, this was his new goal. He moved his hands up a little and under Tino's shirt, hooking it on his thumbs, as he moved his hands higher and higher up Tino's sides, the shirt went up too. He made sure not to be as delicate as before, he didn't want Tino to burst into laughter and kill the mood again.

When he got to Tino's armpits he stopped and waited for Tino to allow him to take it off. The tiny Finn stopped his kissing and got the hint easily, taking his shirt off in one, quick movement. Berwald got frustrated that he couldn't see anything, therefore, he reached our for his glasses, put them on and quickly turned on the little lamp that was standing on the bedside table. The warm orange-yellow light, illuminated their bodies gently, hugging them in the soft, romantic glow.

Tino took a moment to stare at Berwald, eyeing him up and down a few times. He licked his lips subconsciously, almost drooling at the sight of Berwald so close to him. His hot, well toned chest inches away from his face. He wanted to lick, suck and kiss every part of him, he wanted to do it so badly, lucky, Berwald made him snap out if it.

While Tino was busy eyeing Berwald, he was busy doing the same thing. Tino didn't even realise when Berwald lowered himself onto him and started kissing and sucking his neck slowly. "Bea'tif'l" he murmured into Tino's ear, nibbling on the earlobe at the same time.

Tino shivered, he didn't get that much attention in years and oh how sweet it all felt now. He wrapped his arms around Berwald, one went to his lower back and the other to his hair. He ran his hand through his soft, golden locks and played with them for a while. Berwald moaned quietly and softly into Tino's ear, sending a shiver through his spine. Tino pulled him closer, making their chests meet, piercing each other's skin with their heat, synchronizing their heart beats, till they no longer could tell who's heart they were feeling.

Berwald began his new quest; finding Tino's sweet spots. He nuzzled Tino's neck and stared sucking and kissing it softly. Whenever Tino moaned or purred, he would move to another part of his neck, memorizing the one that Tino reacted to. Once Berwald decided he found all oh the sweet spots there were to be found on this side of his loves neck, he moved to the other, doing exactly the same as before.

Meantime Tino enjoyed the attention he was getting, and never even wondered why Berwald was doing this. He didn't know that Berwald's goal was to find all his sweet spots and to memorize them for later, so that he could use that in the his future plan. All that the Swede wanted to do, was to satisfy and pleasure the one he loved as much as he possibly could.

Tino focused on getting Berwald undressed, rather than thinking about what Berwald was doing. He slowly caressed Berwald's lower back, lowering the waistband of his boxers more with every stroke he did. It would take him some time to take them down completely with the tempo he was going at, but it was worth it.

It took Berwald much less time than previously to find all the info he needed on this side of Tino's neck. Once he found all the sweet spot on this part of Tino's body, he began using his new found information straight away. He sucked on one of Tino's most sensitive spots, making a nice dark, purple love bite.

Tino gave a long, loud moan in response, arching his back from the pleasure. "Shhh, P'ter's sleep'n'" Berwald purred into Tino's ear. Tino wasn't too happy now, he growled in disapproval. Berwald chuckled quietly and kissed Tino's cheek lovingly. He looked deeply into Tino's eyes, piercing his soul and melting his heart, "I love ya Tino." Tino looked at him shocked for a moment, tears started to pool in his eyes. "Wh't's wr'ng?" asked Berwald a little worried. "It's nothing, really. I'm just so happy, I can't even express how much joy you brought into my life... I love you too, Berwald" was Tino's respons, with single tear escaping his eyes and rolling down his cheek.

Berwald gently wiped Tino's tear away with his thumb, stroking his cheek lightly. He leaned down and kissed him passionately, deepening the kiss with each touch of their tongues. He caressed Tino's hips and his neck, trying to get Tino to respond, showing that he's willing to continue. Tino moved one of his hands over to Berwald's chest, trailing his muscles and extremely soft skin. In his blind search, he finally came across what he was looking for. He stopped and gently ran his thumb over Berwald's nipple, then he took it between his thumb and index finger and rubbed it delicately.

Berwald moaned loudly into the kiss, the warm pleasure filling his abdomen. To Berwald's disappointment, Tino broke the kiss and stopped all his actions. "Keep it down, Peter's sleeping..." whispered Tino. They looked at each other and both chuckled quietly. Berwald pulled Tino closer to his chest and caressed his back slowly. The small Finn snuggled to him, wrapping his arms around his chest and gave a long, loud yawn. The Swede looked at him and smiled lovingly, "We sh'ld sleep n'w, it w's a l'ng day." stated Berwald, giving and even longer yawn than Tino's.

It was in fact an extremely long and eventful day. He slept with Tino and had a tickle fight, then Tino came to visit him again because he forgot his phone, this resulted in their first kiss, then they picked Peter from his friend's, had dinner, helped Tino in his little emergency and now he had a lovely half an hour or so, of showing affection and finally confessing to the tiny Finn. This was one of the best days in his life. Berwald smiled to himself, remembering all of today's events.

"Wh't time are ya w'rking t'morrow?" Berwald looked at the time and gasped in shock, it was past midnight already, "t'day" he corrected himself. Tino took a moment to recall his timetable and smiled, "I start at noon." He was happy he didn't have to wake up early and got to sleep with Berwald once again. Berwald nodded in acknowledgement and rolled over to lie on his back, pulling Tino on top of his chest and hugging him tightly.

Tino sighed in disappointment of not getting any further with today's touching and kissing. He stretched his arm out and turned off the light, laying his head back down onto Berwald's bare chest. He laid his leg on Berwald's lap and wrapped his arm across his chest.

Berwald pulled him even closer and kissed the top of his head, nuzzling his soft hair one last time before sleep. They were both extremely happy that they finaly found someone to hopefully spent the rest of their lives with. Tino kissed Berwald's jaw, "Goodnight love." he murmured and began drifting away into his dreams. Berwald was already half asleep, but he still managed to say, "G'night wife..."

* * *

~Author Notes

Hello there! How have you all been? I hope your lives are going well with your schools and jobs or whatever you're doing in life! So, it's been ten days and I'm updating already! Wow, I actually thought I'll be late with this chapter, but here I am, earlier than I though. Sorry if it's a little shorter than the rest, I never planned for this one to be long anyway... I hope it wasn't to terribly cheesy or something and Peter managed to be a cockblock even while asleep XD! Yeah... Anyway, thank you to all my lovely readers/followers/reviewers/anyone that is bothered to even look at this. I always appreciate your support!

I'll be updating in about two weeks or earlier. Also, I do not own Hetalia in any way, but I do own this story. If there are any silly spelling mistakes please contact me! It's probably the fault of my stupid auto correction, for I write this on my phone XD. Okay, well, see you all soon (I hope)...


	10. Love blooms in April

Chapter 10 - Love blooms in April

When Tino woke up, one thought simply couldn't leave his mind alone. What did Berwald mean when he said "wife"? _Am I just a replacement? Someone he wants to have in bed and that's it? But if that's the case, then why did he bother with helping me? Then again, it can all just be a part of his plan.._. These and many similar thoughts were running through Tino's mind as he laid wrapped up in Berwald's arms. Tino wanted to move out of Berwald's embrace, feeling a little uncomfortable after all this thoughts littered his mind.

Berwald's breathing became less deep and calm, Tino looked up. He Swede was looking at him with lazy eyes, a gentle smile on his face. "G'morning love" he said and kissed Tino's forehead. Tino looked away, turned his head back down and didn't even smile or say anything back. Berwald got a little worried. "Wh't's wr'ng Tino?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"What did you mean when you said "wife" yesterday? Am i just a substitute for her?" asked Tino looking up, his voice shaky and eyes glassy from tears that were threatening to escape. Berwald gasped and his face softened. "Of c'urse not! I love ya Tino. And th't "wife" j'st kinda sl'pp'd..." he kissed Tino's forehead again. Well it wasn't really an accident, he called him his wife, because that's what Berwald considered Tino to be now (unofficially) and in the future (officially, after marriage). Yes, he already thought about marrying him, it was love at first sight. What he wouldn't tell Tino, was that he called him his wife because that's how he thought of him, it would sound like an engagement. Now would be way too early for that and he didn't want his engagement to be so boring. As wonderful as this morning was, it wasn't good enough for engagement.

Tino felt bad for thinking all the terrible things about Berwald. He pulled himself on top of Berwald's chest and up to be eye level with him. Berwald looked at Tino, or rather a blurry version of him, and searched blindly for his glasses, not breaking the eye contact. Once he found them, he put them on quickly and smiled. "I love you" was all that Tino could think of as an apology, without having to explain why he was apologizing in he first place. He leaned down and kissed Berwald passionately, the Swede quietly moaned into the kiss and held Tino closer, passing his hand down Tino's back and stopping at the waistband of his boxers.

Tino shivered a little and laid his head down on Berwald's chest. He ran his fingers through Berwald's short hair, enjoying their softness. "Your hair's so silky" complimented Tino, he then started to kiss and lick Berwald's chest gently. Berwald hummed in appreciation and gave a quiet moan at the warm touch of Tino's mouth. He tuned his head to look at the time, it was only 6:30 A.M. "Wh't are we doin' up so early?" Berwald growled, unhappy about the lack of sleep, but it didn't really matter as long as he was with Tino. His hands started to travel even lower Tino's body. One went to his hip and the other to his ass. He stared caressing Tino's hip gently, while squeezing his buttcheek lightly. Tino purred and rubbed his chest against Berwald's, earning himself a low moan from him. Berwald wanted to do something, but he wasn't sure how Tino would react. Well, if he didn't try, he'd never know, so he decided to do it. He slipped his hand into Tino's boxers and began brushing Tino's soft skin with his hand. A strong shiver went through Tino's entire body, making Berwald smirk at his achievement. Tino kissed Berwald's chest and moved a tiny bit lower to be in the right position to caress his nipples.

He took one into his mouth and started to suck and lick it gently, while rubbing the other one between his fingers. Berwald moaned loudly, sending a series of vibrations from his chest to Tino's mouth. This turned him on, a lot. Tino could feel himself getting hard, and being in the position he was in, it was certain that Berwald would notice soon. Berwald's grip on Tino's ass tightened, as the Finn suck a little harder and bit the soft little nub extremely gently. Tino moaned, his erection growing even more.

Berwald was in no better situation, Tino could feel it and that only made his problem bigger. Berwald held Tino tightly to his chest and rolled over, swapping there positions. Tino blushed and chuckled a little, "You're so strong Berwald." He said as he traced his hands on Berwald's muscles, his lovely chest and stomach. Tino's hands started to slowly make their way to Berwald's hips. Once they got there, he pulled his boxers off in one in quick movement, Berwald gasped, slightly surprised at Tino's actions. Sudden wave of embarrassment hit him and he blushed more than he ever did in his life. "What's wrong, love?" asked Tino upon seeing the bright red hue that Berwald's cheeks gained in less than a second. Tino smiled lovingly and stroked Berwald's cheek gently. "N'thin'." replied Berwald, his embarrassment disappearing with the cute, little smile Tino gave him. "It's okay if you don't want to continue..." "Nej, 's f'ne."

Berwald started to kiss, lick, suck and gently bite all of the sweet spots on Tino's neck, his research from last evening finally being useful. Tino moaned and caressed Berwald's hips while lightly grinding his crotch against Berwald's. Of course, what Tino expected was a moan, but definitely not such a loud one. "Shhh, you'll wake Peter up." "It'll be yer fault." Tino sighed and chuckled a little. "Oh well, you can blame it on me then. I don't mind." He replied and kissed Berwald's neck, sucking it a little to creating a small hickey. Berwald was painfully hard and Tino really wanted to help him out. And so, he caressed Berwald's hips once more, slowly moving one of his hands to his lover's crotch and the other to his lower back.

Before Tino reached his cock, Berwald knew what was going to happen. He didn't want to be the only one receiving pleasure, so before Tino could start, he got Tino out of his boxers too, sliding them down quickly. Tino squeaked quietly, not expecting that from Berwald right now. As soon as he regained his senses, he carried on with his task. However, Berwald followed in Tino's movements. When Tino moved, so did Berwald, slowly inching to his pleasure.

Finally, Tino got to Berwald's erection and grabbed it gently, giving it one long, slow stroke up, circling his thumb on his tip. Berwald's moan was different from all the previous ones, much more sexual. Tino liked it, much more than he expected himself to. He kissed Berwald's lips and moved his hand down just as slowly. Berwald gave another long moan and finally touched Tino. He grabbed him a little harder then Tino did and started to pump him, a little faster than Tino was doing as well. He palmed the tip of Tino's erection, spreading the precum all over the tip and his hand, using is as lube and started moving his hand faster. Tino's moans were slightly louder and higher pitched than Berwald's. He arched his back at the overwhelming pleasure going through his entire body. His grip on Berwald's cock hardened and he moved his hand faster, placing little kisses on his jaw, lips and cheeks as he did so. Berwald returned some of them, but he mainly focused on giving Tino the most pleasure he could.

It was ages since either of them experienced anything like that. And so, both of then could feel themselves comin close. "B-Berwald..." Tino's moans became louder and louder with each passing second. "Tino, 'm close..." Berwald moaned into his lover's ear, his hips began to tremble. "Me too..." Tino's cheeks were bright red and his breath hot and heavy. Berwald sucked a particularly sensitive spot on Tino's neck and Tino knew he was seconds away from his climax. Berwald sucked it a little harder and pumped Tino's cock faster.

"Berwald, I-" he got cut off by his climax overwhelming him. His vision went white and he came hard into Berwald's hand and onto their chests. A single moan of his love's name was all that escaped his lips. Berwald followed seconds after, covering Tino's chest in his cum. He collapsed onto Tino, and the little Finn held him tightly against his chest, his hands massaging Berwald's lower back, slowly and gently. "I love you, Berwald" Tino whispered into his love's ear while kissing kiss neck. "I love ya too, Tino" replied Berwald, caressing Tino's sides and hips. They both laid there, covered in their cum, panting their orgasms off. This was a beautiful, blissful moment that should've lasted for ever, unfortunately it didn't. A light knock on th door was all it took to crash the moment.

"Papa, can I come in?" Peter's voice was quiet and rather weak. Berwald quickly sat up, cleaned his chest on the bed sheets and put on some boxers and a t-shirt. "St'y th're, I'll s'rt it out" Berwald instructed Tino and waked up to the door. "Wh't is it P'ter?" Berwald asked his son as he opened the door. "I don't feel well..." this was true, and he didn't look well either. He's face pale, but cheeks rosy, eyes glassy and goose bumps visible on his arms and legs.

Upon seeing he's son in that state, Berwald started panicing a little. It wasn't often that Peter got ill and definitely less often that he looked so bad. It was April after all and Peter always got ill in April, sooner or later. Berwald crouched in front of his son and checked his temperature with his lips. Peter's forehead was really hot. He took Peter in his arms and carried him into his room. "St'y here sweety..." said Berwald, gently laying his son down onto his small blue-green bed, he kissed his forehead and pulled the soft, light blue covers over the little boy. "'ll be b'ck in a min'te" Berwald left Peter's bedroom and ran downstairs to get some medicines, a thermometer and some water.

He ran back upstairs and into Peter's bedroom. "H're" Berwald handed the medicine and water to his son and ruffled his hair gently, then checked his temperature, it was a little too high. "Ya should feel b'tter aft'r ya t'ke th's." Peter took the medicine and water and swallowed it all. He laid his head on his dark green pillow and Berwald covered him with a thick, fluffy, baby blue blanket. "Sleep" said Berwald gently, kissing the top of Peter's head. He closed the blinds and walked out of Peter's room quietly, closing the door behind him.

Meanwhile, Tino got a shower, dressed himself and took the dirty sheets off of the bed, putting them into laundry. It was just before 8 A.M, but Tino was tired. He yawned loudly and sat on the bed, patiently waiting for Berwald. He laid down and hugged a pillow, his drowsiness taking the better of him, and in less than ten minutes, he fell asleep. At the same time, Berwald was busy making breakfast for the both of them, since Peter was asleep. He made a really big omlette, put it on a plate and poured some orange juice for both of them. Once he got everything, Berwald put it all on a tray and brought it upstairs. He opened the door, slowly looking inside and he smiled gently upon seeing his love fast asleep, hugging one of the pillows. Berwald laid the tray on his desk and walk up to his bed, he sat on it and began to gently caress Tino's soft, blond hair. Tino stirred a little and tried to slap Berwald's hand off of him through his sleep. After a short while, he gave up and woke up, growling at Berwald for waking him up.

"Hey Berwald, is something wrong?" he asked, rubbing his sleepy eye and yawning loudly. "I m'de breakf'st" the Swede responded, kissing Tino's cheek delicately. "Oh..." Tino's sleepy mind didn't register what Berwald said at first, but then it clicked. "Oh! I'm sorry, i should've helped you!" Tino exclaimed and sat up. "'s 'kay, love" Berwald reassured Tino and hugged him tightly. "How's Peter?" "He'll be f'ne. He's sleepin'" Tino held Berwald closely to himself, desperately needing comfort for some reason. "Are ya 'kay, Tino?" Berwald got a little worried, his brows furrowing a bit. "Yes I guess. I'm a little sad." Berwald pulled back and looked Tino in the eyes. "Wh't's wr'ng sweety?" he caressed Tino's cheeks. "I'm not sure. I'm just feeling down I guess." the little Finn hugged Berwald again, holding on to him as if his life depended on it. "Lets eat d'rlin', maybe yer j'st low in sug'r." Tino nodded in agreement and loosened his grip on Berwald a little.

...

After they finished eating Tino felt a little better and praised Berwald for his amazing cooking skills for about half an hour, making his lover's face gain a pink, little blush. Tino helped Berwald with cleaning up, then sat on the couch with him and cuddled. "Should we check up on Peter?" Berwald hummed in agreement and picked Tino up bridal style. Tino chuckled, "What are you doing?" "'m br'ngin' ya upst'rs with me" replied Berwald, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and kissed Tino's lips softly. "Alright dear, but i can walk, you know." Tino smiled and caressed Berwald's cheek.

Berwald lowered Tino down once he reached the top of the stairs and hugged him, before opening Peter's bedroom door. They both tiptoed over to the little boy, sleeping soundly in his bed, cuddled to his favourite teddy bear. "He's cute..." Tino looked over to Peter and smiled lovingly, like a mother at her child. Berwald walked over to Tino and hugged him from behind, the smile Tino gave Peter made him really happy for some reason. After a short moment, Berwald walked over to Peter and checked his temperature once again, it turned out that it went down a bit.

Once Berwald made sure Peter was okay, they left his bedroom and went into Berwald's instead. Tino helped Berwald put on some fresh bed sheets and flopped onto the bed once the finished. The Swede laid next to him, smiling and looking deep into his eyes, piercing Tino's little amethist stones with his sea-green ones. Tino shifted closer to Berwald and put his arm around his waist, resting his head on top of Berwald's chest. "You're so nice... and cuddly... and loving... and gentle." Tino listed, making his lover blush. "Yer cute, g'ntle, ador'ble, 'nd soft." Berwald replied, trailing his hand down Tino's waist and ass as he said the last part, giving his cute buttcheek a small squeeze. Tino meeped in response and cuddled closer to the Swede. "I love you..." Tino's voice was soft and sleepy, he yawned and rested his leg on top of Berwald's lap, making himself more comfortable. "I love ya too, Tino..." replied Berwald, kissing Tino's soft locks and hugging him closer to his chest. "Sleep" he kissed Tino's hair again and covered them both with a blanket. Tino drifted off into peaceful slumber, getting some more rest before work.

...

It was 10 A.M, Tino woke up on his own, a little headache disturbing his sleep-hazed mind. He growled, making Berwald shift a little. "Did ya sleep well?" asked Berwald with a long yawn. "Mhmm..." Tino responded and stretched a little. "I have to go to work, then go home and check if the pipe will work." Tino sighed, not wanting to go out of the cosy bed. Berwald's arms were still wrapped up around his little torso, making him feel even warmer and safer. Berwald gave him a small nod and finally let go of Tino, both of them didn't like that. Berwald liked holding Tino so close, and Tino liked being held by Berwlad. He sat up and yawned again, he really didn't want to go to work. "Can i come over after work?" "Ja, once ya check if yer heatin' is w'rkin'" Berwald sat up too and kissed Tino's forehead. "N'w go b'fore ya'll g't late." Tino kissed Berwald passionately and got out of the soft bed, looking longingly at it and the person sitting in it. "I should be here by 6 P.M, okay?" Berwlad nodded and opened his arms for a hug. Tino was quick to respond and launched himself at Berwald, hugging him tightly and placing little kisses in his neck and cheek. "See you later, honey..." Berwald smiled and watched Tino leave his bedroom, this was a sad moment, a very sad moment indeed... For those were the same words his deceased wife said before she left the house for the last time. All that Berwald could do now, is hope the story wouldn't repeat itself in some way and that he wouldn't lose another person, that life was worth living for, ever again...

* * *

~Author Notes

Umm, hello? Okay, I know I'm 7 days late... Please don't kick me! The work in college is killing me and the only time i got for writing is in the bus on my way to school and from school. Sometimes I don't even get that much. I would like to promise you that you'll be getting your chapters regularly, but I'm not sure about that. However, I will do everything that I possibly can to do so.

I don't really expect anything from you, my lovely readers, but a review would be nice once in a while. I've got my 5 or 6 loyal reviewers that review every chapter. And don't get me wrong, I love you guys, but I know just how many hundreds read this story and it's a little disappointing and discouraging for me, when only the few people review each time. It makes me feel like the only ones enjoying are the ones that review every time. You don't even know how big of an inspiration and motivation (I lack this one way too much) your reviews are... Please do your part and review, it takes a minute but it make me happy! I write this story, and in order to continue I need encouragement... So please keep that in mind. Thank you.

Also, I do not own Hetalia, but I do own this story...

I hope I'll see you all very soon! Bye~!


	11. Is it the end?

Chapter 11 - Is it the end?

It was already 8 P.M and Berwald called Tino at least ten times. He was seriously starting to panic now and Tino's "last" words weren't helping him at all. Peter had a fever all day and slept most of the time, this was one of those times that Berwald was glad he's work allowed him to stay at home. But what on earth was going in with Tino?! Berwald have done enough work today, while distracting himself from the dark thoughts that were swimming round and round in his head, that he could easily have three or even four days off. He turned his computer off and closed his little office. Before he went upstairs he made himself some tea and called Tino. Once again, just like before, there was no answer.

Berwald walked down the dark corridor and up the heavy, mahogany stairs, his movements slow and clumsy. He was close to falling asleep while walking, this day was way too long and tiring for him. He was so exhausted, both mentally and physically, that when he got to the top of the stairs, he felt like he'll faint any second. The corridor felt cold and unwelcoming, Peter was sleeping, Berwald's bedroom was empty and Tino wasn't answering his calls.

Berwald sat heavily in a chair by his desk, drinking his hot tea slowly. He put his cell on the desk, right in front of him, glaring at it with such intensity, that it seemed he'll make the phone explode by simply looking at it. After a few minutes, he finished his tea and placed his cup by the phone, his eyes never leaving it. Berwald was waiting, patiently, waiting for a call that would either destroy his life once again, or make all his worries leave within a millisecond. He sat there for an hour, two, tree, he lost the track of time... Then eventually feel asleep, no calls have came through.

...

Morning came sooner than Berwald though, actually, he didn't even knew when he'd fallen asleep. The first thing that Berwald did, was grabbing his phone in a panic that he missed a call from Tino, unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He sighed, with disappointed and relieve. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to go and check if Tino was home, that was the last thing he could possibly do.

Berwald showered, made breakfast for Peter and brought it up to his room. "H're ya go P'ter," he said, forcing a small smile onto his lips and handing his son a plate of sandwiches and a cup of hot chocolate. "I h've to go out n'w. I'll be b'ck in th'rty min'tes. 'kay?" his smile still in place, he sat next to Peter on his bed and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Peter wasn't fooled, even though he was very young, he knew when something was off with his Papa. He nodded in response and took a bite of his sandwich. "Thank you Papa! They're delicious!" A few more bites later, Berwald was still sitting on his bed, staring into one point, somewhere on the wall. "What's wrong Papa?" he asked quietly, placing his tiny hand on top of his dad's. Berwald looked at the small hand on stop of his, the same delicate, slim fingers that Peter's mother had. Berwald felt as if someone just ripped his heart out of his chest as he looked into his son's sparkling eyes, full of life and happiness, but worry was strongly evident in them too. Sometimes looking at Peter was too painful, he resembled his mother so much it was unbearable. Berwald took a deep breath and answered, his small fake smile back in place. "Ever'thin's fine, P'ter."

Peter shook his head, his father never wanted to tell him anything. "I know something's wrong, stop forcing a smile, please..." he closed his eyes and continued, "It's Tino, isn't it? He didn't contact you since he left." Berwald looked at Peter, "Yer too cl'ver fer yer age, P'ter," he said, chuckling and ruffling his hair again. He smiled once again, a small sad smile, but a true one, and got up to leave. "Be careful Papa." smiled Peter and started eating his breakfast again.

...

Berwald left his home and decided to walk the short distance to Tino's home, and back, if Tino wasn't at home. The streets were wet, it must've rained at night, the roads and pavement cleaned by it. As he got closer to Tino's house, just about half way, an old news paper laid plastered to the pavement, pages spread around, making a gray-white carpet, on the side a few bits of broken headlights, a bit further some more rubbish. It looked as if the rain washed everything down the street and just stopped here.

Few more minutes and Berwald could already see Tino's house, but he didn't know what to think of it. It was there, nothing strange about it, but Tino's car was in front of it, in the exact same spot it was in on Sunday. That seemed a little strange and if Tino's car was there, then he must've been home, but if that was the case, then why wasn't he answering his phone? A mass of dark thoughts clouded Berwald's mind, he quickened his step and got there within seconds. The door was locked, Berwald knocked for a few seconds, then tried again after a moment. No answer. He walked to the front windows and looked inside. It was empty. He jumped over the fence and into Tino's garden, it was beautiful, making it obvious how good of a gardener Tino was. Early spring flowers blooming, making wavy patterns on the well kept grass. Berwald admired the garden for a brief minute, then started searching for a spare key, Tino must've had one.

After about ten minutes of searching, he finally found Tino's house key, hidden in a flower bed, far to the north-east end of the garden. Berwald ran to the door and opened it. The house was cold and empty, the floor dried however, but nothing have changed, everything was exactly as Berwald remembered it. Untouched.

He locked Tino's door and took the key with him. Berwald ran the way home, not wanting to leave Peter alone for too long. All this didn't help Berwald one bit, Tino's last words came down onto Berwald's mind like an avalanche. Crushing him. He got home in under five minutes, sprinting, as fast as he could. All he wanted now, was to hold Tino, smell his sweet scent, touch him, look at him, hear his voice, he wanted to know that he was okay. It was too much for Berwald. Tino disappeared.

...

Peter was waiting for him in he living room, wrapped up in his fluffy, baby-blue blanket, watching some documentary about rainforests. "Did you find Tino, Papa?" Peter looked up, his eyes full of hope. Berwald shook his head, not capable to say it. "If ya'll need an'thin' I'll be in m' room," said Berwald as he turned around and marched upstairs. He flopped onto his bed, curled into a ball and grabbed his phone. He looked at it, half expectantly, hopping to get a call. Yet again, there was none. Berwald started falling asleep again, everything that was happening made him feel like falling into a coma and waking up only when Tino was back.

After a few minutes of restless slumber, Berwald got woken up by a loud sharp noise. It was his phone. He grabbed it and checked the number, it was unknown. His heart stopped for a moment and he answered it. "Hello?"

...

Peter was getting hungry. He turned the TV off and went upstairs. When he was close to his Papa's bedroom door, he stopped. The panicked voice of his father made him freeze for a moment, he was talking with someone on the phone. He waited outside the room, listening to the half-conversation he could make out through the closed door. However, he only got a few "okay"'s and some bitten back sobs. Once his Papa finished talking, Peter lightly knocked at the door. "C'me in" said Berwald, his voice shaking and weak. Peter opened the door slowly and peeked in, Berwald was sitting on his bed, tears rolling down his red cheeks. Peter ran to him and hugged him tightly, knowing he really needed that at the moment. Berwald held his son a little to tight, but Peter didn't complain, instead, he gently rubbed little circles on his Papa's back, trying to sooth him.

"What happened? Is Tino...?" Peter didn't finish his sentence, not daring to say the one word that would easily crush his father's heart. "Nej, he's al've," answered Berwald, choking on each word. "Then what happened? Where is he?" Berwald took a feel deep breaths, trying to calm himself down for Peter's sake. "He's in the hosp'tal..." Peter gasped, he really wanted to know what happened, but didn't want to push it. He waited a couple of minutes till his father calmed down. Then he asked quietly, "what happened?" Berwald took his little, plastered to his chest, son off of his lap, took a deep breath and explained.

"Tino's in the hos'tal. He got hit by a car," as he said that, he remembered the broken headlights half way to Tino's house. His heart felt like it was broken into million pieces and pierced with needles. "The doct'r said he can't give me more inf'rmation through the ph'ne... He said th't his c'ndition's st'ble now." Peter looked probably just as shocked and upset as when he got to know that his Mama wasn't coming back home. Berwald hugged his son quickly, both to comfort him and not to see his pained expression. Though, however selfish it might seem, it was more for the second reason. He just couldn't stand to look at him when Peter looked so broken, but he was sure, he himself looked just as devastated.

He was hugging him for a couple minutes more, then said, "I need to see him. Do ya feel 'kay?" Peter looked up and nodded. "Can I go with you Papa?" "Ja, I can't leave ya al'ne at h'me, can I?" Peter looked a little hurt by that. "You make it sound like you don't want to take me. Like I'm a burden." Berwald frowned and hugged Peter again. "I d'dn't mean it like th't... Yer not a b'rden, but I don't w'nt ya to go. I don't kn'w wh't Tino looks like, he's been h't by a c'r... I h'pe it ain't too b'd. I don't w'nt ya g'ttin' traum'tized." Berwald hugged his son tighter. "Alright," said Peter, pushing away his Papa slightly."We should go now. I know you're desperate to see him." Berwald let go of the little boy and stood up. "Yer right... Get dressed." Berwald ordered. Peter stood up and ran to his own room to get changed, while Berwald stayed in his room, looking at his phone, remembering the call he got not so long ago.

...

Ten minutes after Peter ran to his room to change, they were already in the car on their way to the hospital. Berwlad was forcing himself to focus on the road, the sun shining in his eyes, making it harder too see, the wet surface of the road reflecting the bright sunlight. Peter sat at the back, hugging the blanket he was wrapped up in, humming something quietly, looking outside the window, smiling at how beautiful everything looked while blooming. April was nice, everything was shooting up and growing extremely fast. The days were getting longer and much warmer. However, Berwald didn't notice any of this, his mind overtaken by the terrifying idea of what happened to his beloved Tino. It was almost too much. "Papa!" Berwald snapped out of it, stopping his car immediately upon seeing the red light. "S'rry..." Berwald apologized and focused on the road for the rest of the short trip.

Once they reached the hospital and parked, as on cue, the sky turned gray, the bright sun getting covered by fluffy black clouds. Berwald wanted to cry, cry and curled into a ball, not see or hear anything. Stop feeling everything. Disappear.

Peter pulled Berwald's sleeve lightly, waking him up from his short daydream, an attempt to run away from all this. They walked slowly, making their way into the hospital and up to the floor where he was told Tino was staying. A doctor stopped them on their way, asking who they came to visit, Berwald answered and the doctors poker face turned into a compassionate and a little hurt one. Berwald winced, the pain in his chest deepening at the doctor's reaction.

"C'n ya please tell me wh't happ'ned to h'm? I w'sn't told through the ph'ne." Berwald's voice was getting shaky, his heart pounding in his chest. The doctor looked at him and took a deep breath, he closed his eyes and answered sowly, his monotonous voice drilling into his brain. "Mr. Tino got hit by a car, a drunk driver. His hip got badly bruised, surprisingly not getting broken. However..." the doctor stopped and looked at Berwald again, his eyes more pained and full of hesitation, almost as if he didn't want to tell him. "H'wev'r?" Berwald pushed, needing the information right now. "However... He got two ribs broken. His second and middle rib." The doctor sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, the pain of telling all this to someone who obviously is really close to his patient. He never liked that part of his job. _But hey, at least Mr. Tino wasn't dead. _He thought, chuckling a little inside. He took another deep breath and continued. "He's second rib pierced his artery and the middle one pierced his lung." At that, Berwald felt his world spin around him. "He had an operation, you should be happy sir, Mr. Tino has a very strong body, if it was anyone else in the same state as he was, for such a long time... They would be dead." Berwald didn't know if he should be happy or just break down and start crying. "He had an operation and his condition is stable. would you like me to walk you to his room?" Berwald was in such a deep shock most things the doctor said washed over him in a sharp painful wave. He managed to nod and follow the doctor. After a few meters, the doctor stopped, smiled and opened the big white door with two blue, horizontal stripes on them. Berwald took a step inside, Peter right behind him, holding his sleeve.

There he was, looking as if... Well, as if he got hit by a car. Which was the case so that wasn't a good thing to compare his state to. Tino's face lit up instantly, his eyes shining, looking as beautiful as ever. The soft, pink lips of his beloved parted and a single word escaped them, one word that made Berwald feel the warmth and safety once again. He heard it many times, said by many people, but when Tino said it, it was different, it held love and passion in it. He said is softly, quietly, smoothly. It was so velvet and delicate to Berwald's ears he almost thought he imagined it. That one word that made everything come back to place and put peace into his heart was his name, that's all it was.

"Berwald..."

* * *

~Author Notes

Hello! I know I'm 9 days late! Don't hit me! I know I've hurt Tino... You can hit me for that, I'm ready...

Okay, once again, this is the moment for making excuses, but, this time, I don't really have a good one. I had this chapter done ages ago, but chose not to update it till today. The only reason being, that it's my birthday! I was waiting to upload it on my birthday because, well... I just wanted to, end of story!

Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I was wondering if it was worth continuing this story, I wasn't getting many reviews and that was demotivating me drastically. Now, that I've kinda begged for them in the last chapter, I feel so much more motivated and inspired by you all telling me what you think! I would be more than happy if I got a birthday gift from all my readers in a form of a review, one that tells me what you think of the story and not just saying "Happy Birthday!". Yeah, so, anyway, I'm like, so totally old now! Even though I know some, if not most, of my readers are older than me. It's currently 11:40 P.M. 25/10/2013, in UK which means my birthday will last for another 40 minutes (in UK).

I had a great day, eating in Chinese restaurants and cafeterias! I bought a ton of stuff in China Town in Birmingham... Anyway, goodnight my dear readers. *hug*

I do not own Hetalia in anyway, but I do own this story... I shall see you soon, I promise that from now on my updates will be regular, every two weeks, it isn't the end of the story, don't worry. Bye~

~Alexandrite-Raven


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